Moving Forward
by Pegasus'Horn
Summary: When Pietro joins Natasha to recruit the silent and serious Rani, he immediately knows that she carries a dark past on her shoulders. As he learns more about her, he desires to help her break free from her past and move forward.
1. Found

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 1

The SHIELD agent sighed into his cup of Kashmiri tea, both with contentment and boredom. An entire year he had been stationed in India, only a few weeks now in Srinagar, Kashmir. It had been Director Nick Fury's—excuse him, _ex-director_ Nick Fury's idea: SHIELD would send agents to roam nearly every corner of the Earth in search of recruits.

While he loved the traveling and the sights—Kashmir was especially beautiful—he longed for something interesting to happen. He had been wandering up and down India, coming up empty handed all the way from Kerala to West Bengal to New Delhi.

He took another sip of the salty sweet, rose-colored drink, admiring the distant view of the mountains looming over the cityscape.

He took notice of a young woman, dressed in plain brown clothing. Her long shirt hung loose on her petite frame, the broad sleeves nearly reaching the tips of her fingers. Her trousers, obviously meant to be fitted, constantly tripped her sandal-clad feet. She wore a plain shawl around her head and shoulders, lightly covering the bottom half of her face. She shied away from the crowds in the market area, keeping her head down as she carried her basket.

The agent narrowed his eyes but made no other movement.

He watched as the woman stopped at a fruit stand and pointed at a pile of peaches. The man behind the stand reached out to hand her four peaches while the woman rummaged in a small sack. She held out her money and the man began to yell. The woman shrunk away, bowing her head. As the man's voice escalated, the woman's shaking became visible.

And that's when he saw it.

Three or four peaches off of the pile flew towards the wall behind the stand, smashing into an orange mess. The owner of the fruit stand stared at the ruined peaches, bewildered. The woman jerked back, looking around her frantically. Her hazel eyes met his and stared straight into his soul. She stepped back, turning and running into a crowd.

The agent jumped up from his seat, leaving his tea behind. He followed her slowly, his 6'2'' height giving him an advantage over the mainly 5'6'' average height of the people surrounding him. He watched as she boarded a waiting bus, looking over her shoulder as she stepped into the vehicle. He ducked behind another stand, not wanting her to realize that he was following her.

He sidled up to the bus and, after paying the driver, climbed to the roof of the bus with a handful of other passengers. They stared at the foreigner dressed in their own clothing. The bus drove on for a little over an hour, out of Srinagar and towards the northeast. Every time the bus made a stop, the agent would peer over the side and look to see if the woman had exited. Only when they stopped at Sonamarg did he see the woman step off the bus. He scrambled off of the bus himself, following her once again from a distance.

The sun sank below the mountains, the light diminishing rapidly from the sky. He followed her for half a mile on a dirt road that ran beside the Sindh River. She took a right turn and walked down a steep path to a small stone cottage with a tin roof. She opened the door and, momentarily, an older woman left the home. The agent waited until the light streaming from the singular window went out before pulling out his communication device, courtesy of Stark Industries.

He heard the other end of the line pick up but it remained silent.

"I've found one."

After another moment of silence, the agent heard another click. Despite the lack of response, the agent knew the Nick Fury had received his message and would send his recruiters very soon.


	2. Join

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 2

Pietro unbuttoned the first two buttons of his dress shirt, hoping to cool down some.

"Is anyone else feeling hot as fuck?" He asked.

"Pietro," Wanda responded disapprovingly, though a smirk grew on her pretty face. "You know Steve does not appreciate such language as this."

The Avengers laughed as Steve groaned. "Seriously, will we never let that go?"

"Probably not," Nick Fury chuckled as he entered the living room of Stark Towers, the former Avenger's facility.

He arrived during one of the casual gatherings that Tony often hosted. They lounged on the couches, sipping on various drinks. Fury surveyed the aftermath of the Chinese takeout on the glass coffee table.

"Nice to see you, Fury," Tony commented, his arm loosely wound around Pepper's waist. "One eye and all."

"Nice to see that the past few months haven't made you any less of a jackass," Fury retorted sarcastically.

Pietro chuckled at that.

"What might we aid you with?" Thor asked, nonchalantly swinging his hammer.

"I'm afraid this is just a simple recruiting mission," Fury responded. "No need for the whole team. Romanoff, I was hoping you would take this one. It's India. Again."

Natasha shared a fond gaze with Bruce before standing up. "I'm up for it," she accepted. "Am I going alone?"

"Maximoff will be joining you."

Wanda and Pietro looked at one another before looking back at Fury.

"Pietro, you could be very useful to Romanoff on this mission," Fury explained.

"You expect me to leave my sister?" Pietro scoffed.

"Pietro, you're being ridiculous. You should go," Wanda insisted. She glanced at Vision, sitting a few feet from her. "Besides, I won't be completely alone."

Pietro resisted the urge to heave. "Fine, I shall go as well."

"When do we leave?" Natasha asked.

"Tonight," Fury said. "I'll brief you now."

…

Pietro sat in silence as Natasha steered the jet. He was thankful that she did not feel the need to fill the time with conversation, thus enveloping them in a comfortable silence.

He wondered to himself why Fury had chosen him to accompany Black Widow. He and Wanda, along with Vision, were the newest members of the Avengers, therefore the most inexperienced. Although Fury had said that this mission would not be difficult or dangerous in the least, he questioned why Fury hadn't chosen the old man—Clint—or even Dr. Banner.

Perhaps Fury wanted him to finally prove himself as an Avenger.

After the final battle with Ultron, Pietro and Wanda had joined the Avengers. Initially, they kept to themselves, inseparable as always. But as the others started treating them more like family, it was inevitable that the Maximoff twins began to view them as such. Wanda became especially close to Natasha and Clint—and Vision, much to Pietro's dismay. Pietro found himself joking with Steve, Banner, the old man, and even Stark. Although, much of the 'joking' concerning the latter two consisted of Pietro playing pranks.

Despite this, Pietro still trusted none as much as he trusted Wanda; she was the only one who knew his every thought and feeling, without her having to read his mind. Though he considered the Avengers his friends and family, he still maintained a level of aloofness that could only be breached by Wanda.

"We're here," Natasha announced, breaking his contemplations.

The sun was rising over the snowcapped mountains across the river. Natasha had landed the plane half a mile away from the small cottage that was their destination. There was not another edifice for miles around.

Pietro admired the mountains that reminded him of his own country. Sunlight painted the sky a bright blue, the white mountains and lush green valley providing a stark contrast. They walked towards the cottage, Pietro fighting his desire to run there. They were moving too slow for his preferences.

Natasha eyed him and immediately recognized his irritation. She laughed. "Alright, Speedy, just this once—"

Before she had even finished her sentence, Pietro had swiftly picked her up and ran to the cottage, leaving a silver trail in his wake. Just as soon as he had picked up Natasha, he had set her down. They glanced at one another before turning to the front door. Natasha cautiously knocked on the wood with her knuckles.

A soft voice called out in another language before the door creaked open a partial amount.

Pietro observed the woman who answered the door. She was petite and looked young, perhaps his age if not a few years younger. Her shawl haphazardly covered her dark brown, nearly black hair and the coffee colored skin of her neck. Her hazel green eyes were wide with shock and fear as they flitted from Natasha to Pietro.

"Do you understand English?" Natasha asked.

The young woman hesitantly nodded, "…yes. Who are you?" Her accented voice quivered as she looked at them.

"My name is Natasha and this is Pietro. Please, do not be scared, we are not going to harm you," Natasha calmly spoke. "Could we come inside?"

She watched Pietro warily as she opened the door completely to let them in. When Pietro passed her, she noticeably drew away from him. Pietro reasoned that, if he were in her position, he would be cautious as well.

She closed the door behind them and immediately went over to the bed. To Pietro's surprise, she lifted a baby from the small bed and swaddled it in another shawl.

Natasha softened at the sight of the baby.

"Your baby is beautiful," Natasha smiled.

The woman did not return her smile and, instead, seemed disheartened. "Thank you...what do you want?" Her eyes remained on Natasha as if she had realized who was truly in charge.

"Perhaps you could tell us your name and age, first," Natasha responded.

Her eyes narrowed before she answered. "Rani Kapoor. I'm nineteen."

Pietro raised his eyebrows. She was only three years younger than him and Wanda. Yet, she had a baby? A newborn baby at that.

"Rani, we are a part of the Avengers, a team that is committed to protecting the world. We want to know if you would join us."

"Join you?" Rani stepped back. "How could I possibly…?"

"Two days ago, one of our agents saw you do something in the marketplace," Natasha slowly explained. "You made four peaches smash against the wall without touching them."

Rani said nothing.

"We believe that you may be able to help us," Natasha continued, looking into Rani's eyes before looking at the bundled baby in her arms. "And we can help you, too."

Rani hugged her baby closer to her. "How could you help me?"

"We could provide the best for you and your baby. You would never have to worry about anything else."

 _Besides missions_ , Pietro thought to himself. He could see the debate within her eyes as she sat on the bed, staring at the floor. Natasha waited patiently—something Pietro was having trouble with—her eyes trained on Rani.

Rani looked at her baby, tracing a gently finger along its cheek. The baby seemed relatively young, only a few months old but Pietro couldn't really tell. He'd never spent much time around children.

"I shall join you," Rani stated, standing up from her seat.

Natasha smiled. "Excellent. We leave now."


	3. Tests

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 3

Rani gently rocked Purnima to sleep. She had asked her neighbor to return to feed Purnima while Rani packed their few belongings. She knew that it had confused the two agents as to why she hadn't fed Purnima herself, but she did not feel the desire to explain. Now, Rani realized with dread that she would not have another way to feed her until they reached their destination.

She only hoped that sleep would curb Purni's hunger.

Rani felt the man—she could not remember his name—watching her from the other side of the plane. She turned away so that her back would face him. She knew that she was being irrational—it was clear that these people had no intentions of hurting her. But she could not erase her body's natural reactions.

"We're almost there, Rani," Natasha called from the front of the plane. "A room is being prepared for you and your baby as we speak."

"Thank you," Rani responded.

As fearful as she was of what her decisions entailed, Rani could not resist the possibility of a better future for her daughter. Never again would she have to worry about finding food, let alone the money to buy food. She would never have to hear her daughter cry for something that Rani could not provide.

Within moments, the plane landed on a tall building and was pulled inside. Rani stood up slowly as to not wake Purnima and reached for her sack. Within a flash, the man was beside her, holding her bag. Rani refrained from shrieking and stepped back.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I did not mean to frighten you," the man answered, his own voice adorned with an accent. "That is my power, super speed."

"I see," Rani nodded slowly, though her heart was pounding in her chest. "Thank you for carrying my bag." She sidestepped him and followed Natasha off of the plane.

"Where are we going?" She asked Natasha.

"You're going to meet the rest of the Avengers," Natasha smiled. "Then we'll get you situated in your room."

They walked through several corridors before entering into a large room, seemingly made of glass. In fact, the hold building seemed to be made of glass. Rani gaped in wonder at the view of the city from the large windows. Never in her life had she thought that she would one day see such a view as this.

She turned as she heard multiple footsteps approaching. A woman and six other men (one "man" was completely red, so Rani wondered if he was truly a man) entered the room.

"Hey guys, this is Rani Kapoor," Natasha introduced her.

One of the men stepped forward, his hand reached towards her. She tensed up, which did not go unnoticed by Natasha and Pietro.

"Hi, I'm Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America," he smiled warmly.

Rani looked from his hand to Purnima resting in her arms. "It's…uh, nice to meet you, too," she answered.

Steve looked at her baby before pulling his hand back and blushing. "Oh, uh, sorry."

"Smooth, Cap," another, shorter man spoke. "Tony Stark, Iron Man."

Steve scowled at Tony before chuckling.

"My name is Vision. It's a pleasure to meet you," the red man spoke.

"I'm Dr. Bruce Banner," a soft-spoken man smiled towards her. "I spent quite a lot of time in India, myself." Rani nodded at the both of them.

"Which she would love to hear about another time, Banner," another man interjected. "I'm Clint Barton."

"And I am Thor!" The largest man in the room thundered, waking Purnima from her slumber. Immediately, the baby began to cry.

"Oh, my apologies tiny human! I did not mean to scare you!" Thor exclaimed. Natasha and the woman shook their heads at him while the others chuckled.

Rani rocked her baby, mumbling to her in Hindi. Instantly, the baby quieted, though she did not fall back asleep.

"Your baby is very cute," the woman commented. She had the same accent as the man who accompanied Natasha. Rani guessed that they were related somehow, perhaps brother and sister. "My name is Wanda, I am Pietro's twin sister."

Oh, right, that was his name.

"It's very nice to meet all of you," Rani nodded, managing a small smile.

"We'd like to run a few tests later on today, if that's alright with you," Tony stated. Rani had a feeling that he would "run" these "tests" regardless of her consent.

"Rani is going to her room, first," Natasha spoke pointedly.

"Right, right. After that then," Tony nodded.

Natasha rolled her eyes before gesturing towards the hallway. Rani turned towards Pietro for her bag.

"I can carry it to your room," Pietro offered.

"No, it's okay. I'll take it," Rani asserted. She freed up an arm with minor difficulties and took the bag from him. She followed after Natasha, aware that the others were staring after her.

"Doesn't like you much, does she?" Tony commented.

"Shut up, Stark," Pietro muttered. Pietro wondered why Rani had such an aversion to him.

"How was the trip, Pietro?" Wanda asked, resting a hand on his arm.

He turned to smile at her, pressing his lips to her forehead. "It was good."

…

Natasha stopped before a door. "This is your room."

The door slid open before Rani. She hesitantly stepped inside, looking around. It was a simple room, containing a queen-sized bed and a walk-in-closet.

"That door there is your bathroom," Natasha said, pointing at a door to the left. The wall to the right housed a large window. It was simple, yet it was the best room that Rani had ever laid eyes upon. She fought back tears of joy, clutching Purnima to her chest.

She turned to Natasha, grateful beyond belief. "Thank you, thank you so much."

Natasha smiled. "You're very welcome."

Rani walked over to the bed and gently placed Purnima on the soft comforter. She unwrapped her shawl, allowing the baby to move her arms and look around at her unfamiliar surroundings.

"What's her name?" Natasha asked, smiling down at the baby.

"Her name is Purnima," Rani truly smiled as she gazed at the child. "She is roughly two months old."

"You speak English well. Where did you learn?" Natasha asked, looking back at Rani.

The smile faded from her lips as the girl remained silent. Natasha looked away, pursing her lips thoughtfully. She stepped towards the door.

"Don't feel pressured to share anything that you don't want to," Natasha spoke. "Just know that we're a team and we support each other, no matter what."

With a sincere smile, Natasha headed towards the door. Rani once again felt indebted to the woman for her unconditional care.

"My father," Rani blurted before she realized what she was saying.

Natasha turned back around to face the young woman, an eyebrow raised.

"My father was a school teacher. He taught me everything that I know," Rani explained.

Natasha smiled at her softly. "Get some rest," she murmured. "Tony will be bothering you soon." With that she walked out of the room.

Rani surveyed the room, walking around and examining things that caught her eye. The closet was a spacious room itself, housing all kinds of articles of clothing, both for her and Purnima. The bathroom contained a tub with a shower and the most pristine toilet that Rani had ever beheld.

A large screen of some sort was mounted on the wall across from the bed. A couch and two arm chairs framed a coffee table by the window. Rani curiously headed towards a large box-like object in the corner of the room, beside a countertop. Another smaller box sat on the counter. Rani opened the larger box on the floor, the front swinging open like a door, and was instantly greeted by a chilled air. A light turned on inside of the box, showcasing bottles of water and…milk.

Rani gently reached into the box, the cold raising bumps under her sleeve. She removed a bottle of milk and stared at it. She could not suppress the tears that welled her eyes this time. She tightly gripped the bottle as her other hand covered her silent sobs. Rani felt overwhelmed with joy and relief; she knew not what else to do besides cry.

Rani heard a knock at the door and, hurriedly dried her eyes. "Come in."

The other woman, Wanda, entered, along with the red man, Vision. "I see you've found the fridge," Wanda smiled. She noticed the bottle of milk in Rani's hand.

"Did you want to feed her?" Wanda asked her.

Rani looked from the bottle to Purnima on the bed. "Yes…it's just…the milk is too cold."

"Oh, let me show you the microwave then," Wanda said, walking over to the box on the counter. She taught Rani how to use it and warmed the milk for her.

"We're here to take you to Mr. Stark's lab," Vision informed. "He would like to run a few tests on you to—"

"She has time to feed her baby first," Wanda interrupted, sending Vision a pointed look. She smiled back at Rani, handing her the bottle of milk.

Rani smiled back as she walked over to Purnima. After feeding her, Purnima promptly fell back asleep. Rani laid her head on one of the pillows, placing two other pillows on either side of her. "Do we need to go right now?" Rani asked them. She did not want to leave Purnima alone.

"I could watch her, if you would like," Wanda asked.

Rani said nothing, biting her lip.

"Do not worry, you will not be gone for very long," Vision smiled.

"Okay," she whispered. She lightly kissed Purnima's forehead before leaving the room with Vision. She kept a slight distance from him as she followed him down the corridor into an elevator.

This was not the first time Rani had ridden an elevator but she could never get used to the claustrophobic feeling of it.

When Rani and Vision entered the laboratory, Tony, Steve and Bruce immediately turned around. Rani felt tension in the pit of her stomach until she saw Natasha as well. She felt herself relax some, but not completely. Vision nodded once at her before turning around and floating out of the room.

"Ah, welcome to my not-so-humble laboratory," Tony announced. "Let's get right to it."

"We'll be doing some primary scans first, just to create your file," Bruce said, looking at a glass screen in his hands while adjusting his glasses. "If you would please stand right here," he motioned towards a spot in the center of the lab.

Rani nodded and stood where he directed. Natasha sent her an encouraging smile.

A line of light ran up and down Rani's form before disappearing.

"Rani Kapoor, female, five foot four, blood type, O…" Tony went on, reading off of his own glass screen.

"Now, for the fun part," Tony grinned. A cart wheeled into the room, a pile of books sitting on top of it.

"Hey…aren't those my—" Bruce began, his brows furrowing.

"For science, my friend, for science," Tony cut him off. "Rani, I would like you to concentrate on this pile of books and try to move one of them."

Steve and Natasha watched silently and solemnly.

Rani concentrated on the pile, willing one of the books to move. Her forehead creased as she squinted, her hands tightening into fists.

 _BANG!_

The books flew five feet across the room, crashing into something that looked expensive.

She turned around, her hand flying to her hammering heart. Tony stood a few feet behind her, a hammer in hand. He had hit one of the tables with the hammer, creating the loud noise.

"Tony, what the hell?!" Steve shouted.

"Language, Cap," Tony responded. "I assumed Rani would need some kind of push in order for her to make anything happen. I was right, of course." He smiled to the others, who didn't seem as amused. "Oh, my apologies, Rani," he added as an afterthought.

Steve walked over to one of the books, lifting it from the ground pensively. "So, she has some kind of telekinesis?"

"Not quite," Bruce answered, peering at one of the larger screens. Natasha walked over to him, intrigued.

"Look, the computer picked up some sort of radiation concentrated here," he pointed to a blob of light on the screen. The light was lightly outlined by Rani's form. "That's Rani. When she moved the books, the books began to radiate that same light, causing them to move."

"Your point?" Natasha asked, still confused.

"It means that she's not just pushing the book with her mind," Tony clarified, his face just as grave as the others' faces. "If that were the case, the book wouldn't emit that radiation. It seems as though she sent her own energy or evoked the energy within the books, causing them to move."

"She's manipulating energy," Bruce added, the words slowly leaving his mouth.


	4. Family

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 4

After the various tests, Natasha walked Rani back to her room.

"You'll have a few more days to get settled before we begin training," Natasha notified her.

"Training?"

"You'll learn how to control your powers with Steve and Wanda and how to use firearms with Clint. I will be teaching you hand-to-hand combat," Natasha smirked.

They arrived at Rani's door. It slid open, revealing Wanda and Pietro, the former carrying Purnima in her arms. Rani was immediately suspicious.

"She woke up a few minutes ago," Wanda explained. "I was just rocking her back to sleep."

"Thank you," Rani sending her a small smile. She glanced at Pietro before looking back to Wanda.

"She's a very amiable baby," Wanda grinned, handing Purnima to Rani.

"Yes, she's very open to meeting new people." Rani affectionately kissed Purnima's cheek. "Thank you for watching her."

"It was no problem," Wanda replied. "I'll do it anytime you need me to."

Rani nodded, her eyes once again returning to Pietro's form. He could easily read the mistrust in her eyes.

"I was just stopping by to inform all of you that we'll be eating dinner soon," he smiled at her, hoping to exude friendliness. Wanda had convinced him that all she would need is some time to get used to all of them. "It'll be a sort of welcome dinner for Rani."

"That is very kind of you all," Rani spoke to the floor.

"I'll help you get ready if you want," Wanda suggested.

"Meanwhile, I could watch Purnima," Natasha added. She smiled at the gurgling baby.

Rani looked at the both of them. She could tell that they were making an effort to reach out to her and make her comfortable. "Okay," she nodded. "I wouldn't mind a little help."

"That's your cue to leave, Pietro," Wanda smirked. With a flick of her fingers, a red fog-like mist caused the bedroom door to open. Pietro rolled his eyes at her as he moved to leave the room. He glanced at Rani over his shoulders, their eyes meeting for a second before she looked away.

Wanda ushered Rani into the shower while she picked out something for her to wear. She stepped out of the bathroom, clad in a plush cream bathrobe and slippers. Wanda held up an orange summer dress with a white ribbon around the waist.

"How's this?"

Rani bit her lip. "Uh, how about something a little longer…"

Wanda nodded and walked back into the closet. She reemerged with a maxi dress of a dark red-burgundy color which complimented her caramel skin tone. It cinched around the waist before leading to a wide, flowing skirt. The long sleeves flowed in a similar fashion before binding around the wrists.

Rani's eyes beamed at the dress. "Is that…mine?"

Natasha laughed. "Everything in that closet is yours."

"I take it that you like this one," Wanda grinned. Rani nodded, blushing. She felt comfortable around these women, more relaxed. "Get changed and we can do something with your hair."

After putting on the dress and slipping on a pair of black sandals, Wanda French braided her hair; it took a while as Rani's hair ended at her hips. Rani watched Natasha play with Purnima, the baby's laughter ringing.

"You like children," Rani stated.

"Yes," Natasha breathed, her eyes remaining on the baby. "I've always wanted children."

Rani withheld from asking further questions. "Could you possibly pick out something for Purnima to wear?"

Natasha grinned at her. "Of course. I'd love to." She selected a simple pink dress and white cardigan for the baby, dressing her after Rani bathed her.

All the while, Natasha and Wanda told Rani humorous stories about the other Avengers. Natasha was happy to see Rani smiling so much. It didn't take much for Natasha to see that the girl hid a dark past; she smiled little and laughed even less, if at all. What could have happened to this young woman for her to be so somber?

"Let's get going, they're probably all waiting," Natasha said, laughing from a story about Tony.

The three women continued conversing as they made their way to the dining room. Natasha noted the way Rani became more reserved as they grew closer to the other Avengers, her grip on Purnima increasing. She kept her brow from furrowing, choosing to let Rani behave as she wishes.

"About time," Tony remarked as they entered the room.

"Perhaps you should learn a little patience," Natasha pointedly stated.

"Eh, I'm not really one for patience," Tony shrugged. "Speedy gets me."

Pietro ignored him, his eyes on Rani. She looked…pretty.

"Stop drooling, kid," Clint chuckled at him as he pulled out his chair.

Just as Clint was about to take a seat, his chair was pulled out a little further, causing Clint to fall to the ground with an 'oof'.

Pietro smirked as he sat down in his chair. "Careful, old man. You didn't see that coming?"

Thor's laughter mingled with Bruce's and Tony's chuckles. Even Vision had a smile on his face. Rani cracked a tiny smile at Clint's irritation as he climbed up from the floor, muttering as he glared at Pietro.

Rani chose the seat across from Pietro while Natasha and Wanda sat on either side of her. Vision took the seat beside Wanda, to whom she smiled. Steve and Tony sat at the ends of the large mahogany table, while Clint sat across from Natasha. Thor sat beside Pietro, followed by Bruce.

A wine bottle sat at the center of the table. Tony picked it up and reached out a hand to Rani. "Would you like a drink, Rani?"

"Oh, I don't drink alcohol," Rani shook her head.

"Really? That's a shame," Tony replied, going on to pour himself a drink. He passed the bottle to Clint, who helped himself to a decent amount. Pietro passed the bottle on to Thor—he knew it displeased Wanda.

Thor poured himself a hefty drink, adding his own Asgardian alcohol to his cup.

Once everyone had a drink—either wine or water—Steve raised his glass.

"To our new member, Rani," Steve toasted. "May she quickly become a part of this family and serve this team well."

They all took sips of their drinks, while Thor threw back his whole cup. Several conversation took place over dinner, though Rani said little; she preferred to listen.

"Oh, Rani, remind me to tell you about Budapest," Natasha laughed as she shared a look with Clint. "It was wonderful."

Clint, on the other hand, grimaced. "You and I remember Budapest very differently."

"You all have been to so many places," Rani smiled. "I've only ever traveled within India."

"Where have you been in India?" Clint asked, taking a bit of his food.

Rani paused. "Only between Himachal Pradesh and Delhi," her eyes remained on her plate as she answered.

"I've always wanted to go to Himachal Pradesh," Bruce commented. "I've heard it is very beautiful."

"It is," Rani nodded. "I grew up there, in Shimla."

Purnima dozed in her arms, her chest rising gently.

"Do you have family there?" Steve asked.

"…no. No, I don't."

Rani felt everyone's eyes on her, particularly Wanda's. Wanda frowned, as if she didn't understand something she had read.

"I should take Purnima to bed." Rani stood from the table. Her hazel eyes met Pietro's, unintentionally conveying her discomfort. "Thank you for the meal. Good night everyone." With that, she left the dining room.

…

Silence lingered over the rest of the Avengers.

"She's quite shy," Vision commented. "Perhaps we make her feel uncomfortable."

"She's very comfortable around us," Natasha countered, motioning towards Wanda and herself. Wanda stared at her plate, a wrinkle between her brows.

"Well, womenfolk are always the most comfortable around one another," Thor chuckled.

"Give it some time," Steve insisted. He sipped from his glass of wine, pursing his lips at the taste. "She just needs some time."

Pietro observed his brooding sister and knew that she had glimpsed into Rani's mind. Wanda was working on controlling her powers and refraining from reading people's minds—she wanted everyone else to have the same privacy that she desired for herself. Once in a while, however, she would slip, oblivious to what she was doing. Reading into the minds around her was as natural as conversation.

After dinner, the group dispersed. Wanda and Pietro walked into his room and sat on the couch.

"What did you see?" He asked in their native tongue.

"I was trying not to look into her mind but it sort of just happened," Wanda sheepishly began. "When she said that she has no family there, a man and a woman appeared in her mind. Rani looks like the woman but she has the man's eyes."

"They must be her parents," Pietro deduced.

"I was thinking the same." Wanda gazed out the window for a time while Pietro played with her hair.

"She'll open up sooner or later."

Pietro nodded in agreement. "She doesn't seem to like men very much."

Wanda hummed. "I noticed that as well."

"Maybe she prefers women," he snickered.

"Pietro," she rolled her eyes at her brother. "I'm going to go spend some time with Vision."

Pietro wrinkled his nose. "You're leaving your brother to go spend time with a robot? Some sister you are."

"Good night, dear brother," she laughed.

The door slid closed behind her. Pietro ran to his bed, flopping onto it. He lay on his back, thinking about Rani. He couldn't imagine not having his parents _and_ having to be completely alone; he couldn't imagine a life without Wanda. How was Rani able to live on her own with a baby to care for?

He recalled the small hovel which she had called home prior to them recruiting her. There was no evidence of any kind of parent. He rolled over, yawning. He absentmindedly wondered whether her parents were still alive.

Pietro's eyes fluttered shut as he dreamed of his own parents.

…

Pietro jolted awake, his slumber broken by the faint sound of crying. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table: it was around two o'clock in the morning. He clambered out of bed and sped out of his room, trying to locate the sound. He came to a stop before Rani's door.

Purnima's cries barely could be heard through the thick walls but Pietro had excellent hearing. He could hear Rani shushing Purnima and her soft footsteps as she paced. As Pietro continued to listen, he heard humming. A faint and short tune which Rani repeated over and over again as Purnima settled down.

Pietro remained at Rani's door until she had stopped humming. Her voice had taken him captive, leaving him in awe at her doorstep. What felt like hours after her room had gone silent, Pietro walked back to his room. He lay back in his bed and closed his eyes, though sleep did not claim him immediately. Rani's humming replayed in his mind, soft yet significant like the sound of rain on the window.


	5. Home

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 5

Rani stood in the large training room, anxiously wringing her hands. She felt strange in a pair of black yoga pants and a gray pullover yoga hoodie. They fit tightly against her body, leaving her feeling confined and exposed. Unfortunately, these articles of clothing were among the few workout attire that maintained modesty. Rani felt particularly small in the large gym; the room was very open and rather empty, save for weight-lifting and exercise equipment against the wall. Everything in the room echoed, even the tiniest footsteps.

That was how Rani knew Wanda and Steve had arrived. She was surprised to see Bruce following after them.

Three days after Rani had moved into Stark Towers, Rani had decided that it was time to start pulling her own weight. She promptly informed Natasha that she was ready to start training.

"You're early," Steve commented, smiling as he stretched.

"The nanny came earlier than I had anticipated," Rani explained.

Tony had been kind enough to hire a nanny to watch Purnima when no one else could. The elderly woman had been very kind, having cared for multiple grandchildren of her own. Rani had been apprehensive at first, but Purnima seemed content in the woman's hands and that was enough for Rani to give the nanny a chance.

Raising a child on her own had been very difficult—Rani would never deny that. Perhaps she could afford to take a break once in a while, now that there was someone else waiting to take care of Purnima when Rani couldn't.

"Are you nervous?" Wanda asked.

"A little," Rani admitted.

"Don't be," Wanda assured, placing a gentle hand on Rani's shoulder. "We'll start off small and simple. Baby steps."

Rani nodded. Wanda's words loosened the knot in her stomach some.

"I'll be observing and collecting more data on your abilities," Bruce divulged. "Just so we'll know how you'll work with the rest of the team and so we can understand your powers better, things like that."

"I understand."

"Well, enough chatter," Steve grinned. "Let's get started."

…

"Excellent job, Rani," Wanda praised. "One more time."

Sweat ran down Rani's body as she focused once more. A large medicine ball sat four or five feet away from Rani. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, the vein in her temple pounding. She felt an underlying buzz inside of her as the ball rose two feet off of the ground. She gasped, falling to her hands and knees. The medicine ball mimicked her, landing on the ground with a sudden thud.

"Well done," Wanda remarked as Bruce handed Rani a water bottle and a towel. "You're making a lot of progress."

Rani could only smile in response, her chest heaving with every breath. She shakily stood up, wiping her forehead of the thick layer of sweat. Her clothes were drenched with sweat, clinging to her skin. Her hair was beginning to fall out of the tight bun on top of her head.

"I…owe it…to you, Wanda" Rani panted.

Wanda had told her that her abilities were mainly mentally oriented; Wanda advised Rani to focus on the energy within her and try to pinpoint the energy within the ball. Wanda's advice helped Rani to define her abilities better.

"How does it all feel?" Bruce asked, typing on his tablet. "Your powers…"

"It does not feel like I am sending my energy into the ball," she professed. "It…feels as though there is already energy within the ball…and I am controlling it. When I close my eyes, I don't feel a ball…I feel an energy that is different than mine."

"What do you mean? How can you differentiate between the different energy sources, between you and the ball?"

"Well…it almost feels like a different texture. Perhaps because I am a living, breathing creature and the ball is not," Rani clarified.

"Interesting," Steve commented. "How do you think it would feel if you tried to move a person?"

Rani froze. "I…I don't know." She looked alarmed. Wanda noticed that her hands were beginning to shake.

"Try to lift me," Steve instructed, getting into a stance beside the ball.

Rani took a step back. "I'd rather not. I…I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Don't worry, you won't hurt me. Just try—"

"N-no!"

Bruce, Wanda and Steve stared in silence. They were taken aback at Rani's exclamation; they could've never imagined Rani raising her voice.

She blushed, clasping her hands to her chest and looking down at the floor.

"Rani," Steve began. "I'm sorry—"

"No, I'm sorry I yelled. Just…please," Rani pleaded as she looked into Steve's eyes. "Please, don't make me do it."

Steve nodded, clearing his throat. "I won't make you do something you're not comfortable with or not ready for."

Rani nodded once, her eyes piercing Steve's.

"We're done for today," Wanda murmured, smiling soothingly at the young woman in the hopes that it would console her.

"Okay."

Rani stiffly turned around and walked out of the gym. She broke into a run, sprinting back to her room. The door slid opened and with a nod to the nanny, she bounded into the bathroom. She stood before the mirror, leaning against the sink and letting her head hang. A droplet of sweat trickled from her hairline to the tip of her nose. The bathroom resonated with the sound of her heavy breathing.

Rani dared to look up, into the mirror, dared to face her reflection. Pain and horror stared back at her. Tears rushed into her eyes as a fragmented sob escaped her lips. She twisted away from the mirror and sloppily tore her clothes off, leaving them on the tiled floor. She turned on the shower, undoing what was left of her bun. Not waiting for the water to warm, she stepped in, immediately sitting down and curling into a ball under the spray.

Rani cried, her tears interspersing with the water from the shower, sobs shaking her crumpled frame.

…

The sun was setting over the city, casting an orange glow over the skyscrapers and streets. Rani leaned against the balcony railing, the warm wind caressing her chilled skin. Wisps of her drying hair flew around her.

The nanny had left after putting Purnima to sleep. Rani knew that she would not wake for a couple of hours.

After her shower, she had left her room for she could not bear to look at Purnima's sleeping face. She walked towards the living room balcony, seeking the solace that only nature and the outdoors could provide. Unfortunately, the beautiful sunset did little to calm her.

Pietro identified Rani through the large windows in the living room. The beads of water from her damp hair ran down the shawl wrapped around her—the same shawl that Pietro had first seen her in—and onto the waistband of her long green skirt. The red sunlight silhouetted her figure, framing her like artwork.

Pietro slowly opened the door to the balcony, quietly enough as to not disturb her but loud enough to alert her that someone had joined her. Pietro knew how skittish she could be and he didn't want to scare her.

She turned around, her guarded hazel eyes watching him as he walked over to the railing. He kept a respectful distance from her, not wanting to discomfort her. He gazed out at the city, remaining silent. Eventually, she resumed her observation of the city, her eyes tracing the skyline.

Wanda had told him what had happened during their training session, about her reluctance to practice on Steve. He glanced once more at her shawl. It was soft and worn, a faded tint of cream. It was clearly something that she used often, something that she treasured.

"Are you homesick?"

Rani looked at him. When he had stepped onto the balcony, she had immediately wished that he would leave. While she grew more at ease with Wanda and Natasha, she still found it difficult to trust the others. She…didn't have very good experiences with men.

"Pardon?"

Pietro faced her, his expression serious despite the faint blush that stained his cheeks. His eyes peered into hers, as if he were searching for something hidden behind her irises.

"Are you homesick? Do you miss your home?"

Rani turned back towards the city. She was never one to answer a question without thoroughly contemplating it.

"No," she shook her head. "No, I'm not homesick." She looked over at him. She didn't know what it was: perhaps it was the way he watched her with his cerulean eyes, clearly listening to her; or perhaps it was the unmistakable way that he acknowledged and adjusted himself to her comfort levels, revealing his respect for her. Whatever it was, it made the words tumble freely from her lips without any intentions of stopping.

"I'm not homesick. How could I be homesick if I have no home?"

Though her eyes were affixed on the vanishing sun, her words were meant for him. Pietro watched her speak, his head cocked ever so slightly to the side, his brows drawn together just a touch.

"I do not know much about a home back in your country," he responded tentatively. "But I know you have a home here. With m-us. You and Purnima, both."

Warmth blossomed within Rani's chest as his words registered. She slowly faced him, her lips parting as she gaped at him. He was blushing as he looked away from her, looked at anything other than her. Rani felt a blush creeping up her neck and scorching her face. She thanked the heavens above for her darker, olive skin tone—a blush such as this could never seep through her color.

"Thank you," she whispered, genuinely smiling at him.

Pietro stared at her a while before responding. "Uh, you're, um…very welcome," he stammered. He cleared his throat before stepping away from the banister.

"Uh, well, I've got to get going…got to find Wanda…" Pietro walked backwards towards the door. "Uh, bye." He sped off, the silvery dust disappearing as swiftly as he had left.

Rani smiled to herself, a giggle slipping out of her mouth.

Pietro was different from other men. They were _all_ different from other men. Perhaps she could trust them.

…

Rani found Captain America back in the gym. She nervously approached him as he repeatedly punched a boxing bag.

"Uh, Steve?"

He turned around, surprised to see her.

"Rani. What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to apologize again for my behavior. It was very rude of me."

He smiled at her. "There's nothing to apologize for."

"I wanted to tell you…why I don't want to try my abilities on another person," Rani confessed.

Steve quirked an eyebrow at her and nodded for her to continue.

"I was always able to move things as a child. Not very often and so quickly that I thought that I had imagined it. But as I grew older, it became worse. I…I hurt someone. It was different. I didn't just move them…" Rani trailed off, her hands curling into fists.

Steve felt the boxing bag beside him beginning to turn of its own accord. No, because of Rani.

"Rani, listen to me. Accidents happen," he firmly stated. "People make mistakes. And your abilities didn't become worse, they grew stronger."

She looked up at him, doubt in her eyes.

"Your abilities are a gift. You may have hurt someone, but think of all the people you could help. The more you learn to control your powers, the more you'll be able to harness them for good."

Rani smiled at him, uncertain yet reassured by his words. "Thank you, Steve."

"Anytime."

"…I think I would like to try to move people again. I'm scared but…if I can do it, I know that I'll never hurt anyone ever again."

Steve grinned at her. "Baby steps, Rani. Baby steps."

She smiled back and nodded before waving goodbye.


	6. Support

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 6

As the days passed, Rani grew closer to the Avengers; it became easier for her to interact with _all_ of them.

Once every few weeks, the Avengers would spend an evening together, relaxing and sipping on various drinks. Rani adjusted her mustard yellow, strapless jumpsuit. Normally, it wouldn't be her first choice—or even her third or fourth—but Wanda had insisted she wear it.

"It looks so good on you! Besides, it has already been bought. You can't let it go to waste," Wanda admonished, her hands on her hips.

"That's true," Rani acquiesced. The last thing Rani wanted to do was take all of this for granted. "I just…want to cover all of this." She gestured at the bronze skin of her collarbones and shoulders. The skin of her body was a shade lighter than the skin of her hands, feet, and face; her body had not seen the light of day since she was a little girl.

"How about…this?" She pulled a turquoise blue blazer with white lining, the sleeves rolled up a few inches. Rani slipped on the blazer and smiled, pleased by the ensemble. The bright colors reminded her of home.

"You're very good at this kind of stuff, Wanda," Rani admired. "Have you ever thought of designing clothing?"

Wanda smiled softly to herself, blushing. "When I was little, I dreamed of having a fashion show of all my own clothes. My mother would let me parade around in her clothes and shoes." Her smile weakened. "Of course, life got in the way."

Rani silently reached out to place a hand on hers. Wanda smiled.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with how things have turned out. I never imagined that life would take me here," Wanda waved a hand at her surroundings.

Rani nodded. "I feel the same. I did not think for a second that I would ever become an Avenger," she agreed.  
Wanda laughed at Rani's dazed look.

"What did _you_ want to be when you were little?" Wanda asked, her head cocked to the side.

Rani's face became expressionless as she stared off into the space beside Wanda, in another world and in another time.

"A singer," Rani whispered. "I've always wanted to become a singer."

Wanda studied her faraway expression, her lips quirked.

"You'll have to sing for me sometime."

Rani half-smiled. "We'll see."

Wanda scoffed with amusement. "I'm hurt. You wouldn't sing something for me?"

"I would, I'm just not very good anymore," Rani laughed.

"We'll see," Wanda mimicked her. The two women giggled.

Just then, the nanny stepped into the room. "You look lovely, my dear."

"Thank you, Evelyn," Rani greeted the old woman. She gestured at Purnima, who was taking her afternoon nap. "She just fell asleep, so you probably have a couple of hours before she wakes up. She'll probably be hungry when she does."

Rani pulled on a pair of black, pointed toe pumps.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. You go ahead and enjoy yourself."

Wanda tugged on Rani's hand, pulling her towards the door.

"Oh, and I've been reading a few books and they say that she should be moving around a lot more. Try not to carry her too much and help her sit up on her own."

Evelyn smiled, listening patiently. "Of course."

Rani smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, as always."

Wanda smirked at Rani as they left the room. "You're only going to be gone for an hour or two, at the most. Not a year."

Rani pouted, sticking her tongue out at her friend. "I know." She lightly elbowed Wanda. "She's just growing so fast."

They felt and heard a rush of air.

"Did somebody say fast?" Pietro grinned, leaning against the wall.

Wanda rolled her eyes. "Go away, Pietro."

"You'd miss me, little sister," Pietro smirked. "Besides, you can't tell me what to do. I'm—"

"Twelve minutes older, I know," Wanda groaned.

Rani laughed at the twins' antics. "Good afternoon, Pietro."

He looked at her, assessing her outfit. "Hey."

Wanda huffed, walking on ahead of them while muttering in Sokovian.

"I heard that," Pietro called after her retreating figure.

Rani laughed softly, following after her while Pietro fell into step beside her. As always, he kept two feet between them.

"How is training coming along?"

She nodded. "Very good. Right now, I'm only working on my powers with Wanda and Steve. I wanted to focus more on that. I'll be starting training with Clint tomorrow and Natasha the day after."

"The old man, huh?" Pietro cocked an eyebrow. "I don't know how much he'll be able to train you, seeing that his eyesight is going and he is hard of hearing." Pietro sighed mockingly while Rani grinned.

A plate flew towards Pietro's face as they entered the living room, which he promptly caught.

"Eyesight going, my ass," Clint muttered.

Pietro only snickered.

"Must we resort to throwing things, children?" Natasha chided sarcastically.

"He started it!" Clint pointed at the male Maximoff.

"Very mature, Barton," Tony remarked.

Clint scoffed, sinking into his seat on the couch. "How am I immature _and_ an old man?"

Rani bit at the smile forming on her lips as she took a seat beside Natasha and Bruce. "Perhaps you've finally gone senile."

The group broke into laughter.

"She's got you there, Barton," Steve chuckled.

Thor waved his finger at Rani, his laughter like thunder. "You are very funny."

"Great," Clint grumbled, glaring at Pietro's grin. "You've even got Rani making cracks now." He took a swig from his bottle of beer. Rani glanced at Pietro, who smirked and sent her a wink.

"Sorry, Clint," Rani apologized half-heartedly, passing him a bowl of chips.

"It's not your fault," Clint shook his hand at her, dismissing her apologies. "Maximoff over there is corrupting you."

Pietro gazed at her suggestively, lightly biting his lip as he smirked. "I wish."

Rani looked away, heat blazing across her face.

"I resent that," Wanda piped from her seat beside Vision.

"You know I meant—not you—him—OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Clint shouted exasperatedly.

"Language," they all chorused, bursting into laughter at Steve's expense.

"Shall I fetch ear plugs for you, Golden Boy of America?" Tony suggested.

Steve nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please! You may need a ladder to reach them since they're on top of the fridge."

Tony indignantly frowned at everyone's laughter and pointed to Pietro.

"Are we going to glaze over what he just said?"

"Tony, be a dear and fetch some more wine," Natasha smiled.

Tony rolled his eyes before walking back towards the bar.

" _Are_ we going to glaze over what he just said?" Bruce whispered to Natasha.

"Shh," she shushed him.

Rani took a sip of her juice, refraining from commenting on the matter. She had noticed that Pietro often said things of a similar nature to what just occurred. Little comments, sometimes a look or a wink, scattered here and there. She ignored these actions, hoping that they would eventually dwindle away. It's not that she didn't want them…it's just…

As the days passed, Rani began to trust the male members of the Avengers in the same way she trusted Natasha and Wanda. She began to view them in the same light in which she viewed the women who had become such good friends to her—a light that was different from the one in which she has viewed most men. Steve, Bruce, Tony, Clint, Vision…Pietro…she learned to see them as trustworthy, to see them as teammates upon whom she could rely.

As the days passed, Pietro stood out to her. He tried to learn her in a way that others quite hadn't; rather than just a teammate or a colleague, Pietro tried to learn her as a person, _as Rani_. From the way he observed her and spoke with her, Rani knew that he saw more in her than the others did, even compared to Wanda and Natasha.

She ignored these actions, not because she didn't want them…but because she knew that, if Pietro learned the truth about her, learned who she was and what she had done, his attentions would cease. As much as Rani wanted to respond to him, she couldn't place any kind of hope in his affections because she was certain that they were conditional.

So, for now, she decided to pretend as though he were merely being friendly.

"Rani!"

"Hm? Yes?" She looked up to see everyone watching her.

"Daydreaming?" Tony quipped.

Rani laughed. "It's nighttime, Tony."

Everyone chuckled.

"All the same," Tony continued. "What were you thinking about? You didn't seem to be listening to Thor's story about a frost giant he once slayed."

"It was truly an epic tale," Thor orated. The Asgardian swayed as he spoke. Rani was sure that Thor had, once again, added his own Asgardian alcohol to his wine.

Rani fought the urge to glance at Pietro and shook her head. "Nothing, it was nothing."

"Oh, Thor, tell the story about how…" Natasha interjected. As Thor began another story, Natasha smiled knowingly at Rani. She smiled back. If only she knew…

The night went on and the Avengers, the group of friends, enjoyed themselves.

…

"Alright, now slowly put them down," Steve instructed.

Wanda beamed as Rani controlled three medicine balls at once, carefully returning them to their places on the floor.

Although last night's party had ended rather late, Rani was still expected to attend her training session at eight in the morning with Steve and Wanda.

"Marvelous," the female Maximoff applauded.

Rani had grown used to the mental and physical effort that she exerted while training with her powers. She was able to stand tall throughout training and perspired less. It was becoming easier to control her abilities.

"You're doing great," Steve agreed, grinning at her with raised eyebrows. "It's been, what, two weeks since we've started? And look how far you've come. I think you're ready for the next level."

Rani lightly panted as she quirked an eyebrow. "Next level?"

Wanda smiled as she twisted her hand and fingers. A large, leafy plant floated into the gym, stopping a few feet away from Rani.

"Something living," Wanda explained. "Before you even attempt to practice on a human being."

Rani had told Wanda and Natasha the same thing that she had told Steve: she didn't have a good experience using her powers on another person. Of course, she had to tell Bruce and Tony, as well, so they could add this information to her file. Thankfully, they didn't require details—only that her powers (as of right now) could _not_ be used on another person.

"Alright, Rani, move it just like you did the others," Steve directed.

Rani nodded, concentrating on the plant. In seconds, it lifted into the air—it _was_ only one object, therefore much easier. The energy within the plant felt different from the medicine balls, more similar to her own energy but not quite; almost like the difference between cotton and silk, whereas the inanimate objects felt like stone.

Suddenly, Rani felt the energy within the plant begin to crawl towards her. They watched, shocked and amazed, as the plant began to turn brown, its leaves shriveling and decaying before their eyes. It fell to the floor, nothing but a stem in a pot of dry, gray soil.

"How…" Wanda trailed off, gaping at what was left of the plant.

The plant was far beyond dead, drained of all its energy. Rani, on the other hand, buzzed from the surplus of energy. Without a moment's hesitation, she lifted the three medicine balls higher than they had gone before, spinning them before placing them on the ground. She was more powerful.

"You…you took the plant's energy?" Steve deduced, baffled at the state of the plant.

"…I think so." Her face had blanched and her eyes narrowed, seemingly in pain. The air would not pass through Rani's lungs; she felt constricted. This is what had happened when—

"You guys done with Rani, yet?" Clint entered the room, pulling a cart of various weapons. "We gotta start our training...session…what happened to the plant?"

"Rani took the energy out of it," Wanda explained, eyeing the plant.

"Whoa. That's really cool, kid." Clint raised a brow at her. Rani shook herself of the pain of her memories. _Steve said accidents happen…people make mistakes._

Wanda's eyes stared at her with worry and confusion. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," she nodded, though Wanda didn't look convinced. "Should we get started?" Rani turned to Clint.

"Oh, yeah. I hope you're ready, I've got a fun time planned for you," Clint snickered.

"Come on, Barton," Steve chided. "Go easy on her for her first day."

"No way! I still remember that 'senile' comment!"

"Well, we'll leave you to it, then," Steve shrugged, grinning at Rani's helpless face. "We'll practice with this some more next time."

Rani nodded.

Steve and Wanda walked out of the gym, the doors sliding closed behind them. Steve noticed Wanda's worried expression.

"Everything alright?"

"I'm just…thinking about what happened with the plant…and what Rani said earlier about hurting someone," Wanda expressed.

Steve pursed his lips in thought. "I know what you're thinking. Are you worried she's dangerous?"

Wanda frantically shook her head. "No, no, I'm worried about her! Although she vaguely explained what happened the last time she used her powers on someone, I'm certain that she hasn't let go of that burden. I want her to be able to rely on us and tell us if something is bothering her."

"In due time, Maximoff," Steve nodded. "You can't force her to reveal her past. That's something that she's just going to have to do on her own."

Wanda nodded, pensive.

"I'm going to tell Banner and Stark about this…recent development with the plant. We're going to start working with plants more, maybe get her to move them without sapping the energy out of them."

"Alright," Wanda smiled with a nod.

…

 _Rani opened her eyes to find herself in a grimy hotel room, lying in a bed. She stared at the garish saree that was wrapped around her body and her painted nails. She didn't have to look into a mirror to know that her face was layered with makeup._

 _The door slammed open, banging against the wall. A man, his face blurred, drunkenly stumbled into the room. Rani attempted to crawl away from him, but in the blink of an eye, he had grabbed her wrists with cold, clammy hands. He climbed on top of her, pulling at her clothes._

 _She attempted to scream, but not a single sound was heard. Only the man's laughter and the tearing of cloth._

Rani's eyes flew open, greeted by the darkness of her bedroom. She slowly sat up, clutching at her chest as her heart pounded within it. Purnima slept beside her, her chest rising with slow, short movements.

Rani silently crept out of the room, the door sliding shut after her. She could not stand to be in her bedroom—in any bedroom—and walked towards the living room.

Unbeknownst to her, Pietro had sped away from her door just a few moments before. On some nights, when he could not sleep, he would wander the halls towards Rani's room, hoping to catch her singing to Purnima. He had nearly memorized the tune after hearing it so many times.

On this particular night, he had not heard anything coming from her room and had turned away to return to his own room. Seconds later, he heard footsteps within, heading for the door. He sped away, hiding behind a corner.

He watched as she walked down the corridor. He followed her to the living room, curious as to why she was up at such a late hour. She walked to the balcony doors and stepped out into the cool night air.

Pietro studied her baggy sweatpants and thin, t-shirt. Though it was summer, the nights could be chilly, especially at their altitude. He swiped the throw blanket off of the couch and strolled onto the balcony.

Rani whirled around when she heard footsteps, alarm in her eyes. He immediately froze, his hands raised in a gesture of peace. She exhaled, seemingly relieved.

"Oh, it's just you." She laughed softly.

"What are you doing up so late?"

She glanced at him. "I could ask you the same."

Pietro half-smiled, nodding as he looked down. He held out the blanket to her. She smiled at him and accepted his offering. She wrapped it around her shoulders and looked out at the night sky. He looked up as well, observing the stars. For some reason, they just weren't as captivating as the woman who stood next to him.

"I had a nightmare," Rani whispered.

"A really bad one?"

She nodded, biting her lip. Her eyes remained on the stars above.

Pietro pursed his lips, looking at the ground in thought.

"Come."

She looked back at him. "Where?"

"I'm a little cold out here, so why don't we talk inside?" Pietro smiled sheepishly.

Rani examined his pajama pants and fitted tank top. She studied his built arms and chest; his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His thighs were robust, straining against the fabric of his pants. If there was a male equivalent for the hourglass figure, Pietro exemplified it.

For a moment, Rani was lost in Pietro's electric blue eyes, framed by his dark brows and the straight bridge of his nose. His mess of platinum blonde, nearly silver, hair drifted in the slight breeze. His scarce beard accentuated his jawline, balanced upon a strong neck. He was taller than her, but still stout; his body muscular in all of the right places.

"Okay."

They sat on the couch, facing one another. The scent of her shampoo mingled with the smell of his cologne, creating an enticing blend. They talked about all sorts of things: American culture, places they want to go, things they've always wanted to try, how Tony's ego could fit inside of the Iron Man suit—anything to take her mind off of her nightmare.

When it became incredibly late, Pietro stood from the couch.

Though he was reluctant to leave her presence, he knew she needed to try to sleep.

"We should get some sleep."

Rani bit her lip. "I don't…I don't want to go back to my room."

"You have training with Natasha. If you think Clint was bad, you have no idea what's coming," he softly chuckled.

She remained on the couch.

He sighed and sat back down. "It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."

"How do you know?"

Pietro paused. "Because we will always be there to support you."

He stood once more and held out his hand to her. She glanced at him, then at his hand.

Rani slowly placed her hand in his, surprised by the warmth in his skin. Warm, dry, and smooth.

Pietro helped pull her to her feet and gently squeezed her hand before letting go. They walked to her room in silence. The door slid open at their approach.

She turned to look up at him.

"Goodnight, Pietro," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Rani," he smiled.

She walked into her room and the door closed. She waited until she heard a faint rush of air, indicating that Pietro had left.

Rani climbed back into the bed, careful not to jostle the bed in fear of waking Purnima. Once she was situated, she flipped her pillow and laid her head upon it.

When she closed her eyes, all she could see was Pietro's blue eyes.


	7. Daughter

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 7

Natasha waited in the large training room. Every now and then, she would check her watch. Rani was now ten minutes late. Natasha pursed her lips, deciding to give the young woman another five minutes.

They had been training her in hand-to-hand combat for the past week now. Though she rapidly advanced in her training sessions with Steve and Wanda, Rani made slower progress with Clint and Natasha.

Nevertheless, Natasha didn't mind. Regardless of how many times Natasha threw Rani to the ground, the young woman still stood up. Despite her slow rate of improvement, Rani was not discouraged and continued to work hard; and as long as Rani didn't give up, neither would Natasha.

Pietro entered the gym and greeted Natasha. "Where is Rani?"

Natasha frowned. "I don't know. She's twenty minutes late now. It's strange…she's never this late."

"Perhaps she slept in," Pietro suggested.

"Well, I guess we'll have to go wake her up, then," Natasha sighed.

They exited the gym and made their way towards Rani's bedroom. They came upon Wanda and Vision.

"Don't you guys have a training session with Rani?" Wanda asked.

"Yeah, but she didn't show up. We're about to go to her room now," Natasha explained.

Vision held up a hand and tilted his head, his brows creasing. "Does anyone else hear crying?"

They all looked at one another, listening closely. Sure enough, faint crying could be heard. They followed it to Rani's bedroom, the sound increasing in volume to a scream. It sounded like a baby. They glanced at one another before Natasha knocked on the door.

Rani did not answer. Wanda waved her hand at the door, forcing it to open.

The room was a mess: clothes littered the floor and the unmade bed; a pillow lay on the other side of the room; the countertop was piled with bottles and diapers, both opened and unopened. They could hear water running in the bathroom sink.

Rani looked a mess, as well: her hair was haphazardly woven into a tangled braid and heavy bags lay under her eyes. Her long skirt and sweater contained multiple stains of milk and other, unidentifiable substances. She paid them no attention, constantly shushing and humming to Purnima, who was crying in her arms. The little baby's face was bright red as she bawled at the top of her lungs. Her little hands were curled into fists and her eyes were squeezed shut, constantly twisting around.

"What's wrong?! What happened?!" Natasha immediately rushed to Rani's side.

"I-I don't k-know!" Rani sounded as if she were on the verge of tears. "She's been crying like this since four in the morning! Her body is so warm and she won't stop crying…I don't know what's wrong with her!"

"Let's take her to Bruce and Tony," Vision counseled. "They can run tests on her to see what's wrong."

"Good idea," Wanda agreed. "Pietro."

Pietro nodded at his sister and ran to Rani's side. Before she could ask what he was doing, he picked her up in his arms. In a flash, he placed her back down in the lab. Tony, Bruce, Steve, and Thor were startled by their sudden arrival and Purnima's screams.

"What's wrong?" Steve firmly asked.

"Please," Rani beseeched. "You have to help her!"

Bruce made his way to her calmly without another moment's hesitation. He plucked Purnima from Rani's embrace and rushed her to a table. Tony commanded the computer to run a scan on the baby.

"Acute otitis media," Tony read from his tablet.

"Meaning?" Thor queried.

"Ear infection," Bruce clarified. "Tony, she's going to need an antibiotic."

"I'll have it sent for right now." Tony walked off, pulling his phone out.

"She's going to be okay?" Rani sniffed.

"Yes, she's going to be fine," Bruce smiled.

"Oh, thank God!" Rani could not help the tears that leaked out of her eyes. She covered her face with her hands. Bruce handed Purnima back to her. Her cries had weakened into a whimper as she constantly pulled and rubbed at her ears. Rani pressed the baby against her, relieved.

Vision, Natasha, and Wanda arrived momentarily. Clint followed after them.

"I heard the baby was sick or something," he spoke. He had children of his own, so he could imagine how Rani was feeling at the moment.

Bruce frowned at something that he was reading on his tablet.

"What is it?" Natasha asked, detecting his confusion.

Bruce looked past Natasha at Rani. The young woman looked up at him with fear. Was there something else affecting Purnima?

"Her DNA doesn't match with yours," Bruce sputtered. "She's not your daughter."

Rani's expression of fear melted into one of recognition. The others stared at her with astonishment.

"She's my adopted daughter."

"That explains why you never breastfeed her—why you _couldn't_ breastfeed her," Natasha murmured.

"And, no offense, but she doesn't really look like you, either," Clint professed.

"Who is her mother?" Wanda inquired.

Rani's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Purnima nestled in her arms. "Her mother was my friend."

"It was very noble of you to take her as your own daughter when you're only nineteen." Pietro smiled at her.

She smiled back at him. "She had no one else, and neither did I. Noble perhaps, but also selfish."

The room fell into a silence.

Tony returned with paper bag in hand. "Here's the antibiotic. What did I miss?"

"A lot." Steve whistled.

"Thank you for helping her," Rani thanked Bruce and Tony, accepting the medicine from him. She smiled at Pietro, her eyes twinkling. "Thank you," she softly expressed her gratitude. He nodded once, watching her as she left the lab with Wanda and Natasha.

…

Wanda and Natasha helped Rani to tidy her room while she measured out the prescribed dosage of medicine for Purnima. The baby fussed some before she reluctantly accepted the medicine.

Rani paced up and down, humming the same tune as always while lightly swaying. Purnima's eyelids fluttered shut, concealing her dark brown eyes. The red color faded from her milky skin as Purnima fell asleep.

Rani lay Purnima down on a pillow to slightly elevate her head.  
"Thank you for all of your help. I had no idea what to do." Rani hung her head. "Maybe I'm not fit to be her mother."

"Nonsense!" Wanda disagreed. "Purnima loves you and needs you. You're a great mother to her!"

"Besides, there's no perfect method of parenting," Natasha added. "It's very 'trial and error' oriented. You're doing a wonderful job. Don't ever doubt that."

Rani beamed at them with a watery smile. "You're going to make me cry!"

She reached forward to hug them. They were pleasantly surprised—Rani usually avoided unnecessary touching and physicality. They warmly received her, wrapping their arms around one another.

"Uh, Rani? Not that I'm don't want to hug you, but you could use a shower," Natasha admitted.

Rani pulled away with embarrassment. "Oh. Sorry!"

"Go ahead, we will watch over her!" Wanda laughed.

Rani hurried to the newly immaculate bathroom, grabbing her bathrobe from the closet. After half an hour, she emerged from the bathroom dressed in Capri leggings and a long, flowing jersey tunic. She rolled the sleeves up to an inch or two above her wrists. Her dried hair was piled atop her head in a messy bun. She wanted to be in comfortable, plain clothing with few things to impede her while she took care of Purnima.

"You should get some rest," Wanda smiled. "You look like you need it."

Rani laughed softly. A shower couldn't rinse away the bags under her eyes.

"And you don't need to worry about training sessions until Purnima is all better," Natasha included.

"Thank you so much!"

They grinned as they left the room. Rani collapsed onto the bed, easily slipping into sleep's grasp.

…

She woke hours later to Purnima's whimpering. Rani spied the sun making its descent through the window. She scooped up Purnima, gently humming.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted an array of things sitting on the countertop. She crawled across the bed and walked over to the counter, a smile growing on her lips.

A plate of food covered with saran wrap dominated most of the space. Rani felt her stomach growl and her mouth begin to salivate at the sight of the mashed potatoes, grilled salmon, and Caesar salad.

A little note was folded beside the plate.

 _Just some food since you slept through lunch._

 _-Wanda_

 _(But it was my idea -Pietro)_

Rani giggled.

She peered into a brown paper bag next, pulling out two bottles. One read 'Lavender Oil' while another read 'Eucalyptus Oil'. There was also a few baby pink and banana yellow towelettes. Inside was a note, left by Clint.

 _Some things from my wife—she said they would help the baby._

Then in a different handwriting, underneath Clint's message.

 _Hi! This is Laura Barton, Clint's wife! Excuse my husband's lack of explanation. All you have to do is mix a few drops of both oils in some steaming water and have her inhale it. Also, place the towels in hot water and place them over her ears. Both will help soothe the pain! Hope she feels better!_

Rani laughed, shaking her head.

Finally, there was a vase of flowers sitting beside a chocolate colored, velvety bear. A card was propped open, decorated with the words 'Get Well Soon'.

 _Hope she feels better soon! Don't hesitate to ask for any help._

 _-Natasha & Bruce_

 _Feel better tiny human. May the gods grant you swift recovery._

 _-Thor_

 _Infants are usually only ill for a week, at the most. Do not fret._

 _-Vision_

 _Take a well-deserved break from training to take care of Purnima. Ask if you need anything._

 _-Steve_

 _I paid for everything._

 _-Tony Stark, Iron Man_

Rani felt overwhelmed by their consideration. They were not held under any obligation to do all of this, yet they still did. Rani knew she was fortunate and blessed to have met all of them, to have become a part of their family.

…

Rani gave Purnima another dosage of the medicine, feeding her milk afterwards. Purnima lay on her back, her head slightly raised by the pillow, while Natasha and Wanda played with her using the teddy bear.

Over the last four days, all of Avengers stopped by at least twice to see how Purnima was doing. Rani told Clint to tell his wife that she greatly appreciated the towels and oils as they did wonders.

Today, Wanda, Pietro, Natasha, Bruce, and Vision were watching—mostly playing—with Purnima while Rani prepared to take a shower. They claimed it was for the purpose of giving her a break, but she knew that they enjoyed spending time with Purnima more.

Either way, she didn't mind.

Rani walked out of the bathroom, dressed in peacock blue harem pants and a long-sleeved, pullover sweater. She was instantly greeted by Purnima's cries.

Wanda had passed Purnima to Vision, giving him a chance to hold her. Unfortunately, the robot's unique appearance frightened the baby, causing her to begin crying.

Rani opened her mouth to relieve Vision of Purnima, but, to her surprise, Pietro beat her to it.

He whisked the baby out of Vision's arms, cooing to her.

"Oh, did the big red robot scare you, little princess? No, don't be frightened of that chunk of metal…"

"Pietro!" Wanda exclaimed at her brother's rudeness. Purnima began to laugh, her fears forgotten.

Rani watched him play with her, a genuine smile on his face as he made funny facial expressions. He looked…natural, looked _right_ with a child in his arms. Rani knew that he would one day make a good father.

Pietro notices him watching her and smirks at her. She feels her heart beat a singular, emphasized thump and a flood of…she wasn't sure, but something warm in the bottom of her stomach. It spread from her stomach to her chest, enveloping her lungs and heart.

Pietro walked, _walked_ , over to her and gently handed Purnima to her, his fingers lingering on hers. His half-lidded eyes held hers in rapture, blue on hazel. His smirk had faded, replaced by a more serious expression.

"She's a beautiful baby," he whispered. "Just like her mother."

Rani stared up at him, frozen in place though her insides were boiling. She knew the others were watching but she could not look away. His azure eyes held such intensity.

She was captivated.

The sound of someone clearing her throat interrupted them.

Rani looked towards the others while Pietro's eyes remained on her.

Natasha, who had cleared her throat, smirked devilishly at her. "I was just saying that Purnima is doing a lot better."

Rani walked away from him, abstaining from running. "Yes, I'm thinking that Evelyn could start watching her again and I could resume my training."

"Are you sure?" Wanda questioned.

"Definitely. If I were to take any more days off, I'd be pushing it," Rani laughed.

"Excellent. We start tomorrow morning, 5:30." Natasha informed.

Rani's mouth fell open.

"We've got to make up for lost time," Natasha reminded. "5:30. Sharp."

…

5:30. An ungodly hour, in Rani's opinion. Waking up so early after so many days of sleeping in had been difficult, but Rani had managed. She felt sorry for Evelyn, however; the elderly woman had arrived at five o'clock fully dressed with a cup of coffee in hand. Rani couldn't imagine what time the nanny had woken up. Rani had risen from bed at 4:45—just enough time for her to brush her teeth and change into a loose t-shirt and leggings.

Natasha greeted her as she entered through the gym doors.

"Glad to see you on time."

"Like you said, we've got to make up for lost time." Rani smiled.

Natasha smiled back and nodded. "Alright. Hopefully, you remember how this goes. Now, swing at me."

The two women went back and forth, though it always ended with Rani on the floor. She couldn't hope to best the woman who was trained by assassins for years, while she only had a week's worth of experience. Rani grimaced as she stood, her body aching. Despite the pain and the predictability of each round, she stood back up all the same.

She valued what Natasha was teaching her just as much as she valued what she learned with Steve, Clint, and Wanda; she liked the idea of being able to defend herself without weapons or the help of her powers. This way, she would always have a way to protect herself.

"You're doing great," Natasha praised. Rani grinned—Natasha was sparing with her compliments and praise; she preferred constructive criticism.

"But you need a change of pace."

Rani cocked her head at Natasha's words, confused by what she meant.

Pietro entered through the doors, dressed in a muscle tee and jogger sweatpants rolled up to the knees. He glanced at Rani, a half-smile growing on his face.

"Am I too early?"

Natasha smiled. "No, you're right on time." She turned to Rani. "You're going to spar with him."

"Why him?" Rani uttered. She did _not_ want to fight Pietro.

"Bruce isn't a fighter, neither is Tony, Steve is busy, Thor might break you, and Clint laughed when I told him the time. Besides, Pietro was ready to fight you on the day you never showed up," Natasha listed the reasons. "You don't get to pick who you fight out there. Make the best of what you get."

She backed off to the sides, leaning against some exercise equipment.

Pietro stalked towards her, eyeing her with a slight smile. "Don't think I can take you?"

"Just the opposite, actually," Rani gulped, taking a step back.

Pietro grinned, his eyes half-lidded as he tilted his head back to look down at her.

"Don't worry." He sped forward, appearing an inch away from her in half a millisecond. Rani gasped at their proximity. "I'll go easy on you," he murmured.

"No powers, Maximoff," Natasha called.

He spun towards her, incredulous. "What?! You didn't say that earlier!" Natasha shrugged, biting back a laugh.

Rani took his lack of attention as an opportunity, swinging at his face. He dodged it by a centimeter. He grinned at her. "Fighting dirty, are we?"

"All is fair in—" Rani broke off, not wanting to complete the saying.

He smirked before swiping his leg at her feet, causing her to fall over. "In love." He grinned down at her.

She twisted both feet around one of his ankles and rolled. He fell over and Rani rolled onto him, her fist raised. "And war." She smirked.

"Good. Restart," Natasha ordered.

Rani climbed to her feet, dusting off her clothes. Pietro poked his tongue in his cheek as he nodded to himself. "Okay, I see how we're playing." He stood up from the ground and pulled off his shirt. Rani froze at the sight of his exposed chest and arms.

"Distracted?" Pietro chuckled at her facial expression. Her eyes glinted and she charged him. This time, he had her on the floor.

He looked down at her, panting lightly. The smell of his spearmint toothpaste made her dizzy. "I've won this round." He grinned, his teeth stark white against his pink lips.

Her eyes were drawn to his lips immediately, like a magnet. He glanced between her eyes and her lips, his smile fading. His hand reached towards her face, painstakingly slow. Just when his index finger had reached to trace her jaw, Natasha interrupted him.

"That's enough for today," Natasha beamed. "Same time, tomorrow, Rani," she threw over her shoulder as she walked out the door.

Pietro stood up with his super speed and held out a hand to her. She reached up, relishing in the warmth once again as her hand grasped his. He pulled her up, a few inches between them.  
Neither of them said anything.

The hand that held hers lightly skimmed up her arm, barely touching her. It traced her shoulder and the side of her neck, the tips of his fingers resting on her jaw, again. He looked between both of her eyes, inching his head towards hers. She remained still, internally debating whether she should stop him or not.

When she feels his breath across her lips, she steps back, looking away from him. He, too, looks down at the ground, his hand dropping to his side.

Rani wanted to kiss him, so desperately. But she knew she shouldn't. She couldn't. And, therefore, she wouldn't.

But the disappointment was evident in his eyes as he bit his lip, an ironic smile on his lips.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Rani blurted. Pietro looked at her with what seemed like uncertainty.

He shook his head.

"I haven't either," she informed him. "Would you…uh…like t-to eat…together…breakfast?"

He chuckled at her awkwardness and nodded. "Yes. I would."

Rani flushed and smiled at him. "Okay."


	8. Everything

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 8

Rani took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She relaxed her body and closed her eyes.

Steve stood just a few feet from her, his body tense.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

For the past two months since she had joined the Avengers, she had strived to improve and perfect her abilities. A majority of that time was spent practicing on plants and learning not to drain their energy when she moved them. Bruce had explained that the energy in the plants was attracted to the stronger, more concentrated energy within her, causing the plants' energy to become absorbed into hers, a process similar to osmosis.

The medicine balls, on the other hand, had an inanimate barrier of their own, retaining their energy. It was possible, but more difficult to take the energy from an inanimate object; it was a feat that Rani had yet to accomplish.

Rani had learned to create a barrier between her energy and the plants' energy to keep the plants from dying.

Finally, after two months, Steve deemed it was time for her to practice on him.

Rani opened her eyes. "I'm ready."

The rest of the Avengers had come to watch, eager to see what would happen. Tony had even brought blueberries to snack on 'during the show', as he had put it. She glanced at each of them as they sent her encouraging smiles. Her gaze lingered on Pietro, who smiled at her and gave her a nod. Rani sent him a quick smile before turning back to Steve.

Steve nodded and Rani focused on his energy. She felt it immediately and easily raised him into air. His energy was extremely similar to hers—the same material, but a different color. She promptly built a barrier around his energy.

Steve laughed nervously. "Good job, you're doing great!"

"Make him spin in circles!" Thor shouted, laughing.

"Don't! Don't do that!" Steve cried.

Rani would've laughed if she weren't so fixated on keeping Steve in the air and his energy inside him. In the back of her mind, she wondered if he was afraid of heights.

"How does it feel?" Bruce asked.

"Strange," Steve replied shakily. "I feel a kind of buzzing inside of my chest..."

Rani's head began to ache—it was more difficult controlling the energy of living things, and Steve's energy was difficult to maintain. Her powers, after all, exercised her mentally rather than physically, so they caused a mental effect on her body instead of a physical one. Before she knew what was happening, Steve began to fall to the ground like a bird shot out of the sky. Wanda quickly used her own powers to soften Steve's fall.

Though he had safely landed, he did not rise from the ground. He groaned, struggling to lift his head. "Rani, stop…you're taking my energy…"

His energy had slipped through a crack in the barrier she had built and immediately flooded her with a deluge of energy—she could not stop it even if she wanted to.

"I can't!" She screamed. "I can't!"

Rani panicked as she watched Steve become paler and weaker by the second. She looked at Wanda. "Do something!"

Wanda knew what she would have to do, though she greatly loathed the idea.

She appeared at Rani's side and waved her fingers by the young woman's temple. Rani's eyes flashed red as she fell to her knees, gaping at nothing. Steve gasped from his place on the ground. Bruce, Tony, and Thor rushed to his side, helping him up while checking his vitals.

"He'll be okay," Bruce nodded.

Natasha breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Rani. She winced at the expression of pure horror on the woman's face. Wanda was frozen as she stared at Rani, watching her greatest fear.

 _Rani didn't understand what had happened. The Avengers had disappeared, along with the training room. Everyone was gone._

" _You thought you could run away, hm?"_

 _She whirled around and bit back a scream. She knew that face. She thought that she had escaped it._

" _You know the punishment for attempting to escape, no?" The man laughed as two other men appeared behind him._

 _She sobbed as they pulled off her clothes, beating her as they defiled her body. It went on for what felt like hours. Only when she had become nearly unconscious did the men step away from her._

" _Oh, and look—you brought us some fresh meat."_

 _Rani whipped her eyes towards the man. He held Purnima in his arms. The baby cried, her screeches reverberating in Rani's ears. She waved her tiny arms and fists, thrashing in the vile man's grip. Rani begged them to let her go._

" _She'll make me a lot of money, this one," the man cackled._

They watched as Rani sobbed, screaming in her native tongue and reaching towards something they couldn't see. They didn't know what else to do—they could only wait for Wanda's visions to wear off. Wanda covered her mouth, tears leaking from her eyes as she saw what Rani saw.

Pietro couldn't take her screams for another second and sped to her side. He wiped away her tears but she did not respond to his actions, looking straight through him. He pulled her to him and comforted her in the only way he knew how.

The others watched with surprise as Pietro hummed Rani's lullaby for Purnima, running his hand over her hair. She writhed in his arms, protesting against his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and positioned her head in the crook of his neck, continuously humming and only stopping to whisper that it was going to be okay.

Little by little, she stopped fighting his hold and he loosened his arms. Rani's fingers curled, tightly clutching the material of Pietro's shirt. She lightly panted, her breath spreading short and quick across his chest.

 _Rani felt the men grab her once more, but their arms felt different. The four limbs became two, and they simply wrapped her in a protective cocoon._

 _The man and Purnima disappeared. She heard someone humming her lullaby._

" _It's going to be okay…it's going to be okay…"_

 _Rani knew that voice._

 _Pietro. It was Pietro._

Rani blinked, her eyes coming to focus. She vaguely discerned the rest of the Avengers surrounding them from a few feet away, but she mainly felt Pietro.

His arms, his chest, _him_ , encapsulating her in his warm hug.

She lifted her head to look into his eyes, the tears streaming down her cheeks in rivulets. He gave her a tight smile and rubbed her back.

She felt overwhelmed and, before she knew it, everything had gone dark.

…

Rani's eyes fluttered open.

She was in her room, under the covers of her bed. Her hair felt damp and her skin felt clean. She wore different clothes from her training session—a plain, flowy nightgown.

Rani slowly sat up, feeling as though the world was swinging.

A glass of water appeared before her.

Rani's eyes traced the hand holding the glass up the arm, over the shoulder to the person's face. Pietro.

She accepted the water with a nod of thanks and drank from it. She had not realized how dry her throat was until the water had doused the parching burn.

"You fainted."

Rani was surprised. She had never fainted before.

"Oh. Where's Purnima?"

"Wanda and Natasha are taking care of her."

Rani was not oblivious, nor was she stupid. She could easily see Pietro's anger and pain. She placed the glass on the bedside table, her hands resting on her lap. She kept her eyes trained on her hands, knowing that Pietro was staring at her.

She jumped when his voice broke the silence.

"What did you see?"

She scrunched the sheets in her hands and said nothing.

Pietro's hand glides across the comforter and gently clasps her hand.

"Please, please tell me," his voice pained as he pleads. "Wanda refuses tell me."

She turns away from him, a layer of tears coating her eyes.

Pietro lifts her hand to his lips, kissing the center of her palm. Rani squeezes her eyes shut and wrenches her hand away from him.

"Why?!" She hisses. "So that you can fix me?! Do you think that you could solve my problems, make everything better with kisses and hugs?!"

He stares at her in silence.

Rani composes herself, her voice thick. "My…my problems aren't so simple and easy."

Pietro watches her, his eyes fixed on hers.

"I am not naïve enough to believe that my affection could solve your problems. I only want to support you as you heal. I want to help you in whatever way you need."

Rani's voice broke. "You won't want to help me if you knew what my problems are."

"Do you truly think so lowly of me?" The cold and hard tone of his voice caused her to flinch.

"Whatever it is…your problems, your secrets and your scars…they're not strong enough to chase me away. They…they won't make me care for you any less," Pietro confessed, his voice growing soft and warm.

Rani observed his display of raw emotion, her voice caught in her throat.

"I'm not arrogant enough to believe that I am the solution to all your problems. But I am willing to stay by your side throughout every step of the journey."

Rani shook her head. "You don't know what you're signing up for."

Pietro leaned into her field of vision, forcing her to look him in the eyes as he pleaded with her. "Have more faith in me."

She looked into his eyes, inspecting both cerulean eyes. She would be blind if she could not see his sincerity.

Rani sighed reluctantly, though her heart clenched.

"Okay. I'll tell you," she whispered. "I'll tell you everything."


	9. You

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 9

My mother had been sick since the moment I was born. With every passing year, her health became worse, until she died when I was five. Now that I understand my powers better, I wonder if _I_ caused her death by draining her energy away every time I cried or threw a tantrum.

I was young, so I remember little about her. But I do remember the lullaby that she used to sing to me, the same lullaby that I sing to Purnima.

My father never truly got over my mother's death. The first few years, he could not bear to look at me because of how much I looked like her. He immersed himself in the school that he taught at, a father to all children but me. My only comfort was my mother's lullaby, which I would sing to myself.

My father was strict. He homeschooled me, so that I would be able to do my chores at home and still be educated. Though my father was a terse man, I knew that he loved me. He would come to my side when he thought I was asleep and whisper to my mother's spirit that he knew I would become great.

Though I excelled in my studies, my true passion lay in music, particularly singing. By the time I was thirteen, everyone in our community knew that I had the best voice. Everyone would praise me to my father, but he only spoke of my intelligence. I wanted so badly to become a famous singer.

When I was fifteen, I told my father that I wanted to enter a singing competition in the city. He was furious that I had even suggested such a notion and forbid me from bringing it up again. That night, without a note or even a final goodbye, I ran away to the city.

With nothing but a bit of food, I came to the city. I had refused to take any of my father's money—my pride would not let me. I was certain that when I became famous, I would make more money in a day than he had in his entire lifetime. Then, he would accept my love for singing.

I didn't know how to find a competition or who to talk to, so for a while, I wandered the streets, too shy to ask questions. One night, after I had eaten the last of my food and felt hunger in the pit of my stomach, I sang my mother's lullaby to myself. It had always made me feel better in the past, and I knew that it always would.

A man approached me and asked me if I knew any other songs. I thought that perhaps he was a talent scout of some sort, so I sang him many other songs. He smiled and told me that I could become a performer if I went with him.

…you must understand. I was a naïve, young girl from the country, trying to survive in the city. I didn't know any better.

I followed the man to a fancy hotel, thinking that he must be a talent scout if he could afford to stay in such a place. We rode the elevator to his floor, which was my first time riding the machine. He took me to his room and asked me to change into a beautiful dress. After I had changed, he took me to another room on the top floor. As soon as we entered, I smelled cigarette smoke. It smelled like the cigarettes that the men of my village had smoked after a hard day in the fields, though the scent was more unpleasant.

We entered the hazy room and I saw a large man sitting in an armchair. A woman sat on the armrest of his chair, dressed scantily. I had averted my eyes from her, ashamed by how exposed she was. A pair of tall men dressed completely in black stood on either side of the man in the armchair. He smoked a fat cigar as he squinted at me. He asked who I was and the man who brought me here answered that I was a singer.

The smoking man asked me to sing to him. I sang but with difficulty—the smoke from his cigar was clouding my lungs and causing me to cough. When I finished, he clapped and nodded. He smiled and asked me if he wanted to join his singing group and I agreed, excited that I was being given a chance.

Immediately, the man who brought me there took me to another hotel room and left me inside. Moments later, a completely different man entered and…I think you can imagine what happened. I was shocked and frightened. I couldn't comprehend what had just happened, what happened over and over again for the rest of the night. Every time I tried to run away or fight, I was beaten.

When morning came, different men came and took me to a rundown building where thirty or so other girls lived. Their ages ranged from as old as forty to as young as eight. They handed me off to an older woman, who, I quickly learned, ran the place. She was as cruel as she was large. She roughly delivered me to another room that I would share with five other girls. As soon as I arrived, I collapsed on my bed and cried.

My body felt so dirty, so violated. I cried because I knew what my fate was, what I had become. I cried because I knew I would never see my father again. As my sobs grew louder, the other girls left the room, becoming irritated. All the girls but one.

I felt a hand gently run over my hair and heard a soft humming. As my cries settled, I recognized the tune. It was the same lullaby that my mother sang to me.

The girl was eighteen, only three years older than me, yet she seemed much older because of the thick kohl that lined her eyes and the rouge on her lips. Her name was Anushka.

She asked me how old I was and what my name was. As she helped me wash myself and change into different clothes, she told me that she had been a prostitute all her life; her mother had been a prostitute and, if a prostitute became pregnant, her daughter would become a prostitute as well. Sons were taken away and never returned.

Anushka explained to me that the fat woman was the mistress of the brothel. All of the money we made went straight to her and she delivered it to the smoking man herself. I didn't know his name—none of the prostitutes did. I only knew him as the smoking man. Sometimes he would come visit the brothel, during which I would hide in my room. Sometimes he asked for me and forced me to sing for him and his men.

We were visited by men nightly. Fat, skinny, dark, light, tall, short—for the next three years, I was used and abused by all kinds of men. After a while, I lost hope that my father would somehow save me, or that I would somehow escape. I became numb to it all. I only wanted to please the mistress, as she would beat the prostitute that made the least money over the week. Anushka and I learned and shared all kinds of tips and secrets to making the men happier so we could make more money.

As a child, my powers would have sudden bursts, quick and short. But after I had become so emotionally void, my powers disappeared for a long time. Nothing mattered more to me than making money. A small part of me believed that if I were to make enough money, they would let me go.

Anushka squashed those hopes—she told me that the only way they would let a prostitute go was if she could no longer be used: if she were too old or too sick.

Either way, she had explained, once we'd been in a brothel, we could never go anywhere else. No one would ever accept women like us, regardless of whether we'd been kidnapped or born into the business.

Anushka always tried to make the best of our situation. She would tell me funny stories to make me laugh. Sometimes, we would paint each other's nails and do each other's make up, pretending that we were average teenage girls.

Three years with her passed by without me even noticing it. Each day was a repetitive cycle of a distorted passage of time: an hour would feel like years while a day felt like a minute. Before I knew it, I was eighteen.

One day, Anushka whispered to me that she was pregnant. I was furious at her. They gave us condoms to make sure that we would not become pregnant; though a pregnant prostitute could provide another prostitute and create more money for the brothel, the mistress always advised us to use the condoms. A pregnant prostitute would not be visited by men for the duration of her pregnancy, so it was a temporary loss of money.

I was furious that she had not used the condoms and purposely gotten herself pregnant. We both knew that her child would either become a prostitute as well or be taken away from her. I was furious that she would resign her child to such a fate, in the hopes that her baby was a girl and she would get to keep her. I screamed at her, telling her that she was selfish; she had chosen to have a baby because she wanted one, knowing very well that her baby could never have a good life.

She only cried silently, shaking her head at my screams.

I let go of my anger, of course; Anushka was my only friend and I was not about to lose her. I took care of her, taking her visitors as well as mine. Each night she prayed that her baby would be a girl, despite knowing what her daughter's fate would be. It was a sick and twisted prayer, like a two-headed snake. There was no winning in this case, only losses: she either birthed a child that would become a prostitute or a child that would be taken away.

Eight months later, she gave birth two weeks early to a baby girl. Anushka cried tears of joy while I cried tears of despair. As I gazed at the baby girl, I could only feel pity for the child. She would never know life outside of the brothel, just as Anushka never had. She asked me to name her, and I named her Purnima, after the full moon that had risen on the night of her birth.

A few days after Purnima was born, the mistress demanded that she begin working again. That night, as I entertained my own visitor, all I could hear was Anushka's exclamations of pain and Purnima's crying. Anushka's visitor cursed and pulled away from her, heading towards Purnima. Anushka pushed him away from the baby and he began to beat her. The baby's screams and Anushka's shrieks, as well as the man on top of me, overwhelmed me.

Suddenly, the man flew off of me and crashed into the man beating Anushka. The three of them lay on the floor as I watched them turn gray and thin. Seconds later, they stopped moving. I had drained their energy. Somehow, perhaps because I was so focused on them, I hadn't taken Purnima's energy. I rushed to Anushka's side but it was too late.

I was devastated. I had killed my best friend and left her daughter an orphan. I looked at Purnima, who was still crying. I picked her up and hummed the lullaby that my mother sang to me, that Anushka would have sung to her. I was determined to give her a better life, to give her a chance at something more than this.

I wrapped Purnima in a spare blanket and emptied the men's wallets. I whispered apologies to Anushka's spirit and promised her that I would protect her daughter. After that, I crawled out of the window and started running. By some chance, the smoking man had come to visit that night, so many of the men that usually guarded the brothel were being entertained inside.

I ran with Purnima in my arms and boarded the first train that came into the station. I sat in a corner of the boxcar, not knowing where the train was headed; I didn't care as long as it would take me far from there.

I got off of the train at the last stop. I purchased better clothes for myself and some food. Then, I bought the tickets for the journey back to my village. On the train ride, Purnima would cry for milk, something that I did not have. A kind mother offered to feed her for me and I humbly accepted, giving a portion of my food to her children. After two days, we reached my village. I wrapped my shawl around my head and face, masking myself so that no one would recognize me.

No one would have recognized me anyway. They had last seen me as a young fifteen-year-old girl. They would never be able to identify the thin, nearly nineteen-year-old shell of a woman that I had become. Especially with a baby in my arms.

I walked to my father's house, torn between wanting to run with excitement or leave the village with fear. I approached my father's house with hollow steps and knocked on the door. A woman answered the door. I asked what happened to the old school teacher that used to live there and she sighed sadly.

The man had died the year before.

After his daughter had disappeared, he searched for her for two years. He returned alone and lived long enough to write his will. He left all of his money to the school, which they renamed after him. He only left a shawl made by his wife for his daughter, in case she came back.

I could not stop my tears or my broken sobs as I fell to the ground before this woman. The woman was alarmed and asked if I needed help. I explained to her who I was and she and her husband kept me in their home, my old home, for the night. The next morning, they gave me my father's shawl, the shawl that he had worn every morning to work.

They asked if I needed anything else but I only asked them to tell me where he was buried so that I may pay my respects to him. After locating his grave, I prayed to the gods above that he would forgive me.

There was nothing for me in that village so I traveled north, to Kashmir. I found a small stone cottage with a tin roof. My nearest neighbor, who lived a mile away, would watch Purnima and feed her while I looked for work. Often times, I had to resort to begging. I didn't mind—I had done worse things for money, things that I would never do again. Every night, I would dream that the smoking man would find me again and take me back to the brothel.

Two months passed like this. Then, one morning, just when I had woken up, I heard a knock at the door.

And it was you and Natasha.


	10. Future

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 10

For a good ten minutes after Rani's story, Pietro said nothing. He merely stared off into the distance.

Rani was certain that after learning what she used to be, Pietro would want nothing to do with her; her past would be too much for him and he would scorn her.

Pietro was overwhelmed by all that she had said. He could understand why she had been distant in the beginning, especially towards the guys—she'd been mistreated and desecrated by men for the past two years. It made sense why she'd been so fearful of using her powers on people. He finally knew what she meant when she said that she had no home.

He glanced at her, noticing how her eyes were squeezed shut and her hands gripped the sheets.

Pietro had been angry that Wanda had chosen to keep Rani's vision from him—they never kept anything from each other. She had only said that it was not her business to tell; Wanda herself felt as if she had encroached upon Rani's privacy. He had felt pain that Rani originally refused to tell him. He knew his pain was irrational and uncalled for—he had no stake on her and, therefore, no right to feel such pain—but he wanted to help her. He wanted to take away whatever tried to harm this woman, wanted to protect her from the world even if she could protect herself.

Pietro realized why Wanda and Rani had been so reluctant to tell him, why Rani looked as if she wanted a hole in the ground to swallow her.

She was afraid.

Pietro smiled and gently placed a hand over her balled up fist. Rani opened her eyes and looked at him. Ever so slowly, especially for someone like him, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. She sat frozen, stunned at the tender act. His lips lingered on her skin, the hairs of his beard tickling her. He pulled away and sat down on the bed, smiling at her.

"…w-what was t-that for?" She whispered.

He smiled at her, lightly squeezing her hand.

"I'm not going to deny how I feel about you," he asserted. "How _you_ make me feel."

She pulled her hand away from him. "Did you not listen to my story? I have been broken by hundreds of men. Not a thousand baths could wash away their touch."

Rani could not understand how Pietro could still want her— _she_ still struggled to want herself.

"That doesn't matter."

Rani scoffed. "No man can be unbothered by the fact that a woman they're interested in was a prostitute."

"Am I most men?" Pietro countered calmly.

And in Rani's heart, she knew he was not.

Pietro half-smiled at her. "It doesn't matter to me, the past. What matters most is how you are using the present to shape your future. When I look at you, I see a considerate friend, a loyal team member, a responsible mother. When I look at you, my heart stops. You are so beautiful and have such a good heart, yet you walk around completely oblivious to the effect you have on people, the effect you have on me."

Tears filled Rani's eyes. Her voice was caught in her throat, thick with emotion; even if she could speak, she didn't know what to say. She cleared her throat.

"What…what does all this mean, then?" Rani inquired. "Where do we go from here?"

"Well, for starters: do you feel the same way about me?"

Rani blushed. "I would be lying if I said I didn't. I…I don't know what it is; since the beginning, you've always been so respectful and kind. You genuinely care about my comfort. It's been such a long time since a man has treated me that way…but it's also more than that. My heart beats so fast when I see you. You make me happy and feel warm on the inside. And the way you are with Purnima—I just know you'll be a great father one day."

Pietro gazed at her, awed by her words. He cleared his throat, his cheeks shining a bright red as he looked at her hands.

"Uh, well…since you feel the s-same way, I w-would like to ask if you—perhaps you could— _we_ could…"

He trailed off, not knowing how to proceed. She tilted her head at him, smiling uncertainly. She placed a delicate hand on top of his hand that was still holding onto hers.

Pietro looked up at her, into her eyes. And the words came to him.

"Would you give me a chance, give _us_ a chance?"

Rani looked down at their hands while chewing on her lip.

"…it won't be easy." She looked into his eyes, trying to convey her solemnity. "Those three years…they still affect me in many ways."

Rani blushed as she continued. "Although I've learned to trust all of you—Steve, Tony, Bruce, Clint, Thor and Vision—I don't know if I can be… _physical_ with a man. I am reminded of that time, of those men." She placed both hands on his hands.

"If we do this, we'll have to go _very_ slow. I needed time to open up and become accustomed to the Avengers, and I'll need even more time to become comfortable with you in…such a romantic way. I can only do this if we go really slowly."

Pietro smiled at her, nodding. "Of course we'll go slow. If I could, I would make time stop for us."

She blushed and smiled at him shyly. "So, how does this work? How does our relationship change? I've…never really done something like this before."

"Nothing drastic," Pietro chuckled before he sobered. "…maybe we could…spend some more time together?"

Rani smiled. "I would like that."

"I would, too." He returned her smile.

Rani's eyes lit up as she remembered something that she had been meaning to ask.

"By the way, when I was having that…vision, you sang my mother's lullaby to me. How did you learn it?"

Pietro blushed, looking away from her. "Funny story, that is. So, you see, sometimes, when Purnima would cry in the middle of the night…I would, uh, pass by your room to…hear you sing it…I guess I came by so often that I, um, kind of memorized it."

Rani's brows furrowed and Pietro gulped nervously.

"That's…kind of creepy…but also kind of sweet, I think," Rani laughed.

"The first time was an accident…but it was on purpose after that," he awkwardly chuckled.

"I guess I'll let it slide," Rani smirked playfully. He laughed, relieved.

They smiled at one another, his hands in hers.

The door to her bedroom slid open.

"Rani—" Wanda entered while holding Purnima. Natasha, Bruce, and Steve followed after her. "Oh, we're not interrupting anything, are we?" Wanda smirked.

Rani slid her hands away from Pietro's, causing him to pout. "Oh, no, please come in!"

"I wanted to check your vitals," Bruce stated. "They're just tagging along to bother you."

Natasha elbowed him, sending him a threatening glare before turning to Rani.

"Glad to see you're okay," Natasha commented with a smile.

Rani smiled back before looking at Steve. "Steve, I'm so sorry—"

"Don't worry, I'm alright. We'll work on it some more, probably with more plants."

Rani smiled gratefully at him.

"Yes, hopefully I won't have to make you see your greatest fears ever again," Wanda grimaced.

"I'm happy you did something before I killed him," Rani shook her head.

"I…saw your vision, Rani," Wanda murmured apologetically. "I feel as though I've invaded your privacy."

Rani pursed her lips, looking down. Pietro placed his hand beside hers, their skin faintly touching. She looked at him and he smiled at her encouragingly.

She smiled back and looked at Wanda. "I actually want to tell you what my vision was about. All of you."

Rani was no longer scared that her friends, her friends who had become family, would reject her. She knew that they would continue to support her, just as Pietro had. So she told them all—Natasha and Wanda, Steve, Tony, Bruce, Clint, Thor, and Vision—together, while Purnima rested in her arms. She left out some of the minor details, only explaining how her mother had died, how she was forced into a brothel, how she escaped with Purnima. Only Pietro knew the whole story.

At the end, Natasha and Wanda had hugged her, tears in both of their eyes. The others were solemn and astonished.

"I honestly would have never known," Steve sighed.

"Aside from the fact that you had an aversion to men in the beginning," Tony commented.

They rolled their eyes at him, though Rani smiled in amusement.

"Thank you for telling us," Clint half-smiled.

"Yes, it must have taken a lot of courage," Vision praised. "And quite a leap of faith."

"Yes, but I knew that you all would still see me as family," Rani admitted. "You're all such good people and I owe a lot of my healing to you. You've truly helped me, all of you."

"Especially me." Tony smiled, winking at her.

"In your dreams," Pietro growled.

"Calm down, lover boy," Clint laughed.

A pillow flew off of the couch and into Clint's face. Pietro smirked. "You didn't see that coming?"

Clint glared at him, though the rest of them broke into laughter.

Yes, Rani knew that, despite everything, the Avengers would always be her family. She knew she had a bright future ahead of her with them by her side. She caught Pietro's eyes and they smiled tenderly at each other. For the first time in a long time, Rani was excited for what the future held in store.


	11. Months

… **= Passage of time within the same day or two days**

 **XXX = Longer passage of time**

 **Moving Forward**

Chapter 11

Pietro was training in the gym alongside Steve. Neither of them said much to each other, both preferring silence.

Pietro let go of the pull-up bar and wiped the back of his neck with a towel. His silver hair was matted against his head, the sweat dripping down his chest and back. Steve took the opportunity to approach the elder Maximoff under the guise of wanting to use the pull-up bar.

"So…" Steve did a pull-up with one arm, his eyes on Pietro.

"So?" Pietro cocked an eyebrow. He had a feeling he knew what Steve wanted to talk about.

"You and Rani, huh?" Steve grinned at him over the bar.

Pietro gave him a blank stare and said nothing.

"I'm happy for you two," Steve continued, unfazed. "You two make a good couple."

"We are not a couple," Pietro responded. _Not yet._

"It's alright, there's no rush!"

Steve jumped down from the bar and rubbed his hands. "Have you taken her out yet?"

"Out?" Pietro tilted his head and frowned.

"You know, a night on the town," Steve lifted a brow expectantly.

"…like…a date?"

"Yes, a date! Have you taken Rani on a date?"

Pietro shook his head.

"Come on, Maximoff, what are you waiting for?"

Pietro rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. "We're trying to take it slow."

"A date doesn't mean you have to go any faster," Steve explained. "Take her out to the city, show her a good time. Let her know how special you think she is by going a little above and beyond."

"Oh, I see. So, where should I take her?" Pietro asked. He _did_ want Rani to know how special he thought she was. He supposed that a date would give him a chance to spoil her some.

"You'll have to figure that out on your own, bud," Steve chuckled as he grabbed his towel and walked out of the gym.

Pietro frowned. "Nosy, unhelpful, arrogant…"he muttered in Sokovian.

A night on the town, huh? Pietro was sure that he could think of something.

...

Rani proficiently changed Purnima's diaper. The baby girl was now a little more than four months old. Her milky skin contrasted against her dark brown hair and light brown eyes. Her tiny lips were a pale pink color, almost always in a perpetual smile.

Natasha sat beside Purnima, waving a rattle above her.

"So, I noticed that you and Maximoff have been spending a lot of time together this past week," Natasha lightly commented.

Rani knew that she was not speaking of Wanda.

"Yes, Pietro and I have been…bonding."

Rani could not keep the smile from blossoming on her face.

The past week had been wonderful. Every night since they had confessed their feelings to each other and Rani had told the Avengers about her past, Pietro and Rani had stayed up late talking about any and everything. During the day, they ate every meal together, either with the other Avengers or just the two of them.

"So you two are a thing now?" Natasha smirked.

"I'm not sure what you mean…"

"Are you dating? Is he your boyfriend?"

"No, he's not my boyfriend." _Not yet._

Natasha nodded knowingly. "Has he at least taken you out on a date yet?"

Rani shook her head, her brows furrowing. "No…is he supposed to?"

Natasha laughed, shaking her head. "Don't worry. He will soon."

At that moment, a knock sounded at Rani's door. It slid open, revealing Pietro. He was dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans; his hair was neatly combed over, indicating that he had just taken a shower.

Natasha glanced between them and hastily stood up. "I'm going to go visit Bruce. I'll talk to you later, Rani." She nodded at Pietro encouragingly before brushing past him.

"Hey," he murmured, smiling softly at her as he neared her.

"Hey," she whispered back.

Pietro kneeled on the ground beside her and tickled Purnima's tummy. The baby grabbed his fingers and tried to put them in her mouth.

"No, Purni! You can't do that," Rani scolded.

Pietro chuckled as he gently pulled his fingers away. "How was your day?"

"It was good. I was able to move Steve for a little longer without taking his energy," Rani informed excitedly.

"That is great news! It is a good reason to celebrate."

"Celebrate?"

Pietro nodded and smiled at her. He hoped he looked more confident than he felt.

"Yes, celebrate. Let's go out tomorrow, to the city."

"Out? Like…a date?" Rani inquired, a smile growing on her lips.

"Like a date," Pietro affirmed, chuckling.

Rani smiled, biting her lip as she nodded at him. "Okay. Let's go on a date. Do you have something planned?"

"Just a stroll on the streets. Perhaps we could go to a restaurant," Pietro suggested, grinning back at her. He fought the urge to yelp with joy.

"Well, I'll leave it to you then. How about 7, tomorrow night?"

Pietro nodded. "Great." He stood up from the ground, grinning ear to tear. "I'll come get you tomorrow night."

Rani smiled and nodded. He left the room with a wave goodbye. Once Rani was certain that he had left, she jumped up and began twirling around the room with Purnima. Their peals of laughter bounced off of the walls, eliciting Natasha's return.

"Well? What did he say?" Natasha questioned.

"He asked me out on a date!"

...

Pietro knocked on Rani's door, expectantly waiting for her. His attire was different from what he usually wore; he had been ready to go in a regular t-shirt and track pants with a pair of his signature running shoes. Steve had stopped him and insisted that he find something "a little less casual". So, there he was, dressed in a thin, navy sweater over a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The dress shirt lapels peeked out from under the sweater, smoothed against his collarbones. He had matched the sweater with a pair of khaki pants and a pair of simple faux leather shoes.

Rani's door slid open and Pietro's jaw dropped.

She had wanted to be courageous and take a step out of her comfort zone; Wanda had helped her to select a fuchsia sheath dress with butterfly sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, displaying her slender arms and shapely neck. Still, Rani wanted to maintain a certain level of modesty hence, despite the hem of the dress ending at her knees, she wore black tights. Her hair, rather than her usual braid or bun, was parted to the side, curled and let loose, the ringlets reaching mid-back. She added an inch or two to her height with a pair of taupe, suede wedges. Her jasmine scented perfume wafted over to him, enticing him.

Rani was nervous. She had never worn such an exposing outfit before, though Natasha and Wanda repeatedly insisted that her outfit was nothing short of modest. She also had not worn any form of make up since her escape—make up tended to remind her of _that time_. However, something within her wanted her to do these things for Pietro; she wanted to look nice because it wasn't just for any man—it was for Pietro. She didn't care about impressing anyone else. All the same, she kept her make up simple and natural.

Pietro merely gaped, eliciting a giggle from Rani. "Hi, Pietro."

His mouth clamped shut and he chuckled nervously. "Hi. Oh, I brought you some flowers."

He pulled a bouquet of peonies out from behind him and handed them to her. Rani beamed as she sniffed them.

"Thank you. They're really beautiful." She placed them in the vase that the Avengers had gifted her with when Purnima was sick.

"Is Purnima with Evelyn?"

Rani shook her head as she arranged the flowers within the vase. "No, I dropped her off at Natasha's."

Pietro nodded. Once she was done, he gestured toward the door with a smirk.

"Ready?"

...

They walked through the city park, the lamps casting a lemon glow upon them.

Pietro was a little dismayed—the date hadn't been going as planned. The restaurant that he had made a reservation with had pushed their time too far back. They ended up getting hot dogs from a food cart, standing as they ate. Rani hadn't been upset in the least, stating that she had wanted to try hot dogs for some time now.

Furthermore, while trying to find the park, Pietro had gotten them lost, causing them to walk around for an extra half hour. Rani had only laughed, finding the whole situation rather funny. Also, because they had been so late to the park, a man who sold ice cream from a cart had left long ago, further ruining Pietro's plans.

To make matters completely worse, it began to rain. They ran for cover inside of a small gazebo. They sat down on a bench within the gazebo to wait out the rain.

"I'm sorry, Rani," Pietro apologized. "This date has been a disaster. Nothing is going according to plan."

Rani smiled at him. "Don't be sorry. I'm having so much fun, even if it's not planned. Besides," she whispered shyly, "I really just wanted to spend some time with you."

He smirked at her. "Oh, really? I suppose that is understandable, since I'm so amazing."

Rani rolled her eyes. "Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

They shared a laugh. For a moment, they listened to the rain pattering against the roof of the gazebo and the cement sidewalks. Thunder rolled in the distance.

"I don't really care what we do, either," Pietro murmured. "As long as I'm doing it with you."

Rani blushed as she smiled at him. She glanced down at his hand and tentatively placed her hand on his. He smiled as he twisted his hand around her, lacing their fingers.

They held hands in silence as the rain fell and continued to hold hands all the way back to Stark Towers.

 **XXX**

Since Purnima was a little more than five months old, she was learning to sleep through the night. Given this development, Rani was able to spend more time with Pietro every night. Though she enjoyed when they went out on dates for the past month, she preferred the nights that her and Pietro would stay up talking on the living room couch.

It was casual and comfortable; Pietro was very easy to talk to and their conversation flowed naturally.

"I haven't seen many American movies but I loved watching Indian films while growing up," Rani reminisced. "Everyone would gather in the center of town and they would project a film on a bed sheet. My friends and I would talk for hours about how handsome the actors were and which ones we would marry."

Pietro pursed his lips. "How handsome were they, exactly?"

"Very," Rani giggled. Pietro pouted, inciting Rani's laughter.

Pietro chuckled with her before sobering. "Wanda and I never really got a chance to go to the movies much. We were always so busy trying to work and find somewhere to live. I did not really care for movies anyway, but I just wish that Wanda could've had more of a childhood."

"You both had to grow up too early." Rani sighed. She placed her hand on his and he grasped it eagerly. Holding hands with each other had become as natural as their conversation.

Pietro nodded. "Those days were very hard. I could never see the light at the end of the tunnel, but Wanda never gave up hope."

Rani smiled. "You two have such a remarkable relationship—you truly love one another. I really wish I had a sibling. Perhaps things could have been different in my life. I would have never felt alone."

Pietro gazed into her eyes. He reached up a hand, slowly, searching her face for any signs of uneasiness. He touched the tips of his fingers to her cheek, grazing along her skin. His fingers curled and he skimmed the back of his fingers along her prominent jawline to her chin.

Rani's heartbeat resonated in her ears, steady but loud. Her stomach began to flutter as Pietro's face inched towards hers.

When he was just a few inches away from her, he glanced from her lips to her eyes.

"Do you still feel that loneliness?" He whispered. His minty breath fanned across her face.

"No," she responded, her eyes locked on his. "I don't. Because I have all of you."

He smiled at her softly, his eyes half-lidded. "But especially me, right?"

Rani's lips stretched into an amused smile and she leaned forward to touch her nose to his. Her eyes fluttered shut as he released a sigh and trailed his sharp nose across her cheek. His lips lightly brushed against her skin, pressing a kiss to her cheekbone. His lips glided along her face to the spot below her earlobe.

Rani's free hand traveled up his other arm, coming to rest on the back of his neck. She nestled her fingers in his hair while she squeezed his hand that she was holding. Pietro sighed again, his eyes shutting.

"You don't know what you do to me," he whimpered.

Rani wanted to respond but he had moved his lips from the base of her ear to the pulse point in her neck. Her hand gripped his hair, lightly tugging. He pulled back some and she opened her eyes. They gazed at one another, the both of them moving closer to each other.

Pietro let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her waist and she moved her other hand to rest on his neck, as well.

Their lips touched, just a quick touch without any pressure. Quick and delicate.

A second touch, lingering and slow.

The hand that Pietro had placed on her chin migrated to cup the side of her head. His thumb softly rubbed her skin and their eyes closed as they immersed in one another. Pietro tilted his head to get a better angle. Rani partially opened her mouth and slid her tongue against his bottom lip.

She moved a hand to his cheek, feeling his sparse beard. The kiss grew firmer, yet still moved slowly.

They parted, panting lightly as their foreheads rested against each other. They smiled, still wrapped in each other's embrace. Pietro pressed another kiss to her lips, shorter but just as sweet.

They pulled apart but moved into a hug, Pietro's arms around her waist while Rani's arms wound around his neck.

"You don't know what _you_ do to _me_ ," Rani breathed, her fingers playing in his hair.

Pietro smiled into her shoulder and held her tighter.

 **XXX**

Clint took a swig of his beer as he glanced suspiciously between the Rani and Pietro. They sat beside each other, which wasn't completely unusual—the two _were_ friends. Pietro conversed with Steve and Thor while Rani conversed with Natasha and Bruce—also very normal. But every few minutes or so, the two would look back over at each other and smile.

Clint knew the others noticed but none of them had said a thing about it. Well, Hawkeye was never one to conform.

"Is there a reason you two are making goo-goo eyes at each other?" Clint pointed between Pietro and Rani.

"Seriously, Barton? Why do you think?" Tony scoffed, taking a sip of his wine.

"I didn't want to assume anything!" Clint retorted.

"Laura's right, you're a little oblivious, Clint," Natasha laughed.

Clint huffed before turning back to the two. "Well? Are you two together or not?"

Pietro looked at Rani with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. She smiled back at him, biting her lip. She nodded once, to which Pietro grinned.

He turned back to the old man, beaming. "Yes, Rani is my girlfriend."

"About time!" Wanda exclaimed. "You two have been 'dating' for the past two months."

"Yes, for someone so devoted to speed, you certainly took your time," Vision commented.

Pietro wrapped an arm around Rani's shoulders, kissing her temple.

"Anything for her," he laughed, winking at Rani.

"I'm going to be sick." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Congratulations to the both of you." Steve raised his beer bottle in their direction.

"I wish you many years of happiness," Thor grinned. "And a love as great as mine and Jane's."

"Did I tell you all about Pepper's recent development in her—" Tony began.

"Just a minute, Stark! I was just about to talk about Jane's latest award—" Thor interrupted.

The other's rolled their eyes, laughing at their display of testosterone.

Rani and Pietro smiled at each other, their hands weaving together. They met for a short kiss. Unfortunately, the kiss was not short enough.

"I saw that! Seriously, tone down the PDA!" Tony barked.

"Just for that—" Pietro snickered before deeply kissing Rani once more. Her hands traveled to his chest, fisting in his shirt. She was blushing and partially felt mortified, but Pietro did a good job of distracting her.

The others groaned and laughed as Tony got up to retrieve more alcohol, muttering about how he would need at least four more bottles to tolerate the new couple.

 **XXX**

Pietro strode the halls, a frown on his face. Neither Rani nor Purnima had been in their room, despite the three of them planning to eat lunch together.

He headed towards the kitchen, thinking that perhaps Rani was waiting for him there.

Pietro froze in his steps as he heard laughter. Rani's laughter, as well as a few others.

He raced to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. Rani was indeed laughing as Thor and Steve played with Purnima. Thor had raised the 6-month-old girl into the air, cooing as she giggled and waved her chubby arms.

The baby kept grabbing a hold of Thor's thick hair, yanking on it playfully.

"She is quite strong!" Thor bellowed in his deep voice. "Especially for such a tiny human!"

"She takes after her mother," Steve chuckled, nudging her with his elbow.

Rani smirked at him. Natasha had her sparring with Steve now, and she was proud to say that she had thrown Captain America to the floor more than once.

Pietro's eyes narrowed at their exchange, his gaze lingering on the way Steve's arm rested against Rani's.

"Oh, Pietro! You're here!" Rani's eyes lit up as she moved towards him. However, her face fell when Pietro took a step back.

"I, uh, need to go do something. Go ahead and eat without me." He flashed a quick smile at her, but Rani knew that something was wrong. He sped away without another word.

"Watch her for me," Rani requested. "I'll be back in a moment."

Thor and Steve nodded, turning back to Purnima.

Rani raced down the halls towards Pietro's room. She knocked on his door, which he momentarily answered with a tight smile.

"What's wrong?"

Pietro shook his head, smiling harder. "Nothing is wrong, Rani. Please, go eat lunch."

"I can tell that you're upset about something. Why won't you tell me?" Rani pouted.

"When I say nothing is wrong, I mean it."

"I'm not blind! There is obviously something bothering you—" Rani was beginning to feel a tinge of frustration. Pietro was never this difficult; they were usually so open with each other.

"Just leave me alone!" He growled. "Go on and run back to them!"

With that, he slammed the door shut. Rani heard the lock turn.

Her heart hurt as she stepped back, leaning against the wall across from Pietro's door. Tears rushed into her eyes as she turned back towards the kitchen.

"Give him some time, Rani."

She turned around to see Wanda, stepping out of her bedroom, which was, of course, next door to Pietro's.

"I heard you two shouting," Wanda admitted.

Rani said nothing. She struggled to hold back her tears.

"Trust me, I know Pietro's anger better than anyone. He needs time to cool down and rationalize, but that doesn't mean how he feels about you has changed."

Wanda placed a gentle hand on Rani's shoulder, smiling when the young woman moved into her embrace. Wanda wrapped her arms around Rani, allowing Rani to hold on to her.

"Come, let's go eat."

Rani nodded, smiling a watery smile.

…

Rani sat in bed, attempting to read a book. Purnima slumbered beside her.

She sighed, closing her book and looking over at the window. It was a full moon tonight. Moonbeams streamed into the dark room, creating a pool of light on the floor. Rani placed the book on the bedside table and turned off the light, wanting to accentuate the moon's glow.

She studied the silvery blue puddle of light as she chewed on her lip.

Rani had not seen Pietro since their argument before lunch. For all she knew, he hadn't left his room in the past twelve hours. Rani had used that time to reflect upon their fight to try and find a solution.

It was clear to her that he was jealous of Thor and Steve. She found it humorous that he would think that she would prefer them over him, but Rani knew that jealousy could make people irrational. She had calmed down as well, and she understood what Wanda had said: Pietro needed some space to calm down and overcome his irrationality.

Rani pouted. She had hoped that it would take less than twelve hours, though. She missed him.

She looked up when she heard knocking and nearly flew towards the door. She took a moment to compose herself before she slid the door open.

Pietro looked haggard, his hair pointing in every which way as if he had been tossing and turning in bed. In fact, he was dressed in nothing but a pair of pajama pants, so Rani was certain that he had been trying to fall asleep, as well. Rani glanced at his broad and chiseled chest, blushing. She returned her eyes to his dejected expression.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I yelled and I'm sorry for what I said. I did not mean it, it just sort of came out because I was angry…and…I guess I was angry because I was jealous."

Pietro spoke to her feet, his head bowed in shame.

Rani said nothing, letting him continue.

"I was jealous of Steve and Thor because of how much fun you were having with them. And I felt guilty for feeling jealous because that is not doing you any justice. I was angry at myself for feeling that way and I took it out on you. For that, I am so, _so_ _sorry_."

Rani had heard enough. She leapt into his embrace, standing on the tips of her toes to drape her arms around his neck. He did not hesitate to wrap his thick arms around her waist and bury his face into her shoulder.

"Do you forgive me?" Pietro's voice sounded so pained.

"Of course I do. I understand why you felt that way, as crazy as it is," Rani smiled. "Trust me, there is no one for me but you. Don't ever doubt that."

Pietro sighed, squeezing her tighter. "I'll never deserve you."

He pulled back to look her in the eyes. "I'll never deserve you," he repeated, "but I will never stop trying to be good enough for you."

Rani's eyes softened. "You are more than enough."

She leaned forward and kissed him, her eyes closing. Pietro voraciously returned her kiss, lifting her off the ground and walking towards the bed. The door slid shut behind him.

Rani parted from him to catch her breath. Pietro continued to line kisses along her jaw before he moved to her neck. She could not help the giggles that escaped from her as his beard tickled her skin. When he reached the bed, he sat her down on the edge and kneeled on the ground before her. He kissed the back of her hands, then her palms.

She beamed down at him, happiness exuding from her.

"I'll let you get some rest," Pietro whispered, standing up from the ground.

Rani held onto his hands and kept him from pulling away. "Don't leave."

Pietro raised a brow. "You want me to say here tonight?"

She nodded and immediately shifted Purnima to the other side of the bed. She moved over, providing space for Pietro to lie down beside her. Pietro hesitated before he slid under the covers next to her. Rani was grateful for the king sized bed—if it had been any smaller, the three of them would not fit comfortably.

They faced one another, smiling softly. Pietro lay his arm across her waist, pulling her close to him. She kissed him once more before nestling in his arms. Sleep came quickly for the both of them.

 **XXX**

Rani stood beside Wanda, Vision, Bruce, and Thor. Purnima was balanced on her hip. They watched as Steve and Tony waved goodbye as they boarded the quinjet. Natasha shared a quick kiss with Bruce before entering the jet with Clint.

Pietro hugged Wanda, speaking to her in Sokovian. He was dressed in his blue and black running suit, a new pair of sneakers on his feet.

He approached her, a reassuring smile on his face. He immediately pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around both Rani and Purnima. He kissed the nine-month-old on the forehead before kissing her mother. Rani pressed her lips against his, savoring his touch. She would not be feeling it for at least a few days.

"Come back to me soon," she whispered to him.

Pietro smirked. "Faster than lightning." She managed to smile back.

He pulled away, walking backwards to the jet as he smirked at her playfully.

"Don't miss me too much."

She laughed, holding back tears. "Shut up."

He waved goodbye and she blew him a kiss, helping Purnima to wave her little hand at him.

The quinjet took off into the sky, carrying their friends away.

…

Rani sat on the balcony with Purnima. Wanda was spending some time with Vision—something she was able to do more freely without Pietro's comments. Of course, for the past four months, Pietro had not been paying as much attention to Wanda's relationship with Vision.

Rani sighed. It had been a week since a part of the Avengers had gone on a mission. It was the first time they had been apart from each other in the four months of their relationship.

"Ma, ma…"

Rani beamed at Purnima, who was sitting on the floor and smiling up at her.

"Oh, are you calling me? Hm?" Rani scooped Purnima up and snuggled her to her chest.

Purnima was growing so quickly. She had just hit the nine month mark and she was already speaking and beginning to walk. Albeit, she mostly spoke in gibberish and she could only take a few steps at a time. Rani had been so proud the first time her daughter had called her "Ma".

Purnima laid her head down on Rani's shoulder, her copper eyes drooping. Rani patted the tuft of brown hair on her head, lulling her to sleep.

Rani looked over at the horizon, wishing that she could see the quinjet. But there was nothing there. She hadn't felt this kind of loneliness before: though she was surrounded by others, including her daughter—who means the world to her—she still felt lonely.

Rani missed Pietro.

Before she had met him, she had been satisfied with her new life outside of the brothel. Things were not perfect but she was content with herself. However, after they started dating, she learned true happiness, a kind of happiness that could only come from a significant other. Now that she was without him, she could not feel that contentment again. She did not need him, but she wanted him.

Did…did she…lo—

Of course not! That would be insane! She liked him very much but it couldn't possibly be… _love_ …right?

As Rani headed back inside to put Purnima to bed, she realized that she already knew the answer to that question.

…

The quinjet hovered for a moment before gently touching down to the ground.

Pietro was exhausted. The mission had been a success and he was looking forward to seeing Wanda, Rani and Purnima. Then, he was going to take a well-deserved nap.

They all exited the jet, meeting with Bruce, Thor, Vision and Wanda.

"Welcome back, brother," Wanda hugged him. "How was your mission?"

"It was successful. Long, but successful."

"That's true," Natasha wearied. "We didn't think it would take longer than five days."

Bruce embraced her. "Well, you're back now, that's all that matters."

Pietro glanced around. "Where—"

"Where's Rani?" Tony cut him off. "I really missed her and I was looking forward to seeing her."

Pietro glared at him coldly. "Not funny, Stark."

"What? Aren't I allowed to miss her?" Tony quipped in a snarky tone. Pietro glowered.

"I'm not sure Lady Potts would be very happy to hear that," Thor chuckled.

Clint threw an arm around Tony, happy to join in on teasing Pietro. "Come on, let's go visit Rani now. I'm sure she'll be happy to see us."

In a flash, Pietro had sped away, obviously towards Rani's room.

"Man, can't take a joke," Clint scoffed.

They all chuckled as a red mist enveloped Tony's and Clint's bags, causing them to spill their contents and turn inside out.

"Don't pester my brother," Wanda called over her shoulder as she left with Natasha, Vision, Bruce and Thor.

"Seriously! Can't any of you take a joke?!" Clint yelled after them, roughly picking up his things.

"Our humor is wasted on them, buddy." Tony patted his shoulder.

Clint scowled at him. "This is your fault."

In just a few seconds, Pietro had arrived at Rani's door. He smirked as he heard her humming within. He decided to play a bit of a prank as well.

Rani heard a knock on the door and stood to answer it. When the door opened, there was no one there. She frowned and shrugged, closing the door and turning around—only to face Pietro.

"Pietro!"

He grinned at her and dropped his bag on the floor, opening his arms wide. "I'm home."

She ran and jumped into his arms, sprinkling his face with kisses.

"I—missed—you—so—much!" She spoke in between kisses.

Pietro laughed, catching her lips in a passionate kiss. He pulled back, leaning his forehead against hers. "I missed you, too."

Rani burrowed into his arms, breathing in his scent.

"Not a day went by when I didn't feel your absence," she mumbled into his chest. She looked up into his eyes, her arms tight around his waist.

"And in your absence, I realized that…that I love you."

Pietro gaped at her, his eyes wide with surprise. Within moments, a wide grin spread across his face and he picked her up, spinning her around the room.

He slowed to a stop, the both of them shaking with laughter. "I love you, too. So, so much."

They kissed once more, long and sweet.

Purnima had woken from all of their noise. "Ma…ma…"

Rani moved to pick her up, but Pietro beat her to it.

"Hello, little princess! Did you miss me, too?" He cooed.

Purnima laughed, grabbing at his nose and hair. "Dada! Dada!"

Rani froze, as did Pietro. He looked at her, stunned.

"Did she just—"

"Yes, yes she did." Rani was shocked; she hadn't realized that Purnima saw Pietro as a father.

"Does…does it bother you?" She asked hesitantly.

Pietro's gaze softened. "Of course not. It makes me very happy…Does it bother you?"

"No," she shook her head, smiling at him. "It makes me happy, too."

He walked over to her, Purnima in his arms. He wrapped a free arm around her and kissed her forehead. For a while, they stood there together, enveloped in each other's embrace. Like a family.


	12. Protect

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 12

Rani was currently lying on the couch with Pietro on top of her while he kissed the air out of her lungs. She rubbed her hands into his hair and against his beard, pulling him closer to her. His hands remained on her waist, his fingers pressed into her skin.

It always became like this—one kiss led to another, each as agonizingly sweet and slow as the last. Sometimes, Pietro would be overcome by his passion and his kisses would contain a tantalizing edge—an edge that both made Rani swoon and frightened her.

As Pietro's teeth lightly grazed her bottom lip and he moaned into her mouth, she slowed down, becoming less responsive. Pietro picked up on the change and followed her lead. He kissed along her jawline, which was one of Rani's favorite things that he did.

He shifted to one side of the couch so that they lay side by side, nestled in each other's embrace.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

Rani bit her lip. "Me too."

It was now seven months into their relationship. They—Rani, Pietro, and Purnima—had become a sort of family. The 11 month old baby saw Pietro as her father, as he had begun to spend most nights in their room. Most of their time was spent together, for they were nearly inseparable. Despite how close they had become, Rani and Pietro had not…become intimate.

Rani still could not bring herself to do so. She loved Pietro dearly but, at times, his touches would subconsciously remind her of those men from before.

She felt slightly guilty that her body had not learned to trust him, but Pietro never once said anything about it.

"Don't apologize." He pressed his lips to her temple, another of Rani's favorite things. "Please, don't ever apologize."

"I'm apologizing because I feel awful," she sighed. "My heart and mind wants to, but…my body won't allow me to. And I feel awful for kissing you like this but never allowing it to go further, even though we both want to."

He said nothing for a moment, merely kissing her forehead. "Then perhaps we should stop kissing altogether."

"No!" Rani blushed at her outburst. "I mean, that wouldn't really solve anything—"

Pietro smirked before kissing her midsentence.

"I'm kidding," he chuckled. "Besides, I could never last without these lips."

He ran his thumb across her lips. She smiled and kissed him once more. Pietro pulled them both up, so that she was straddling him while sitting on his lap. His arms were coiled around her waist while her arms went around his neck. She tilted her head while he kissed her neck, eliciting a soft moan from her lips.

The door of Rani's bedroom slid open and Wanda walked in with Natasha, Steve, and Tony.

"Oh, dear god, my eyes!" Tony shouted, covering his eyes and turning away.

Rani leapt off of Pietro's lap, readjusting her crewneck sweatshirt and yoga pants.

"We're sorry!" She felt her face burning with embarrassment.

Pietro glared at them and huffed, getting off of the couch. He wrapped an arm around Rani's shoulders and kissed her temple.

"Don't apologize to them, my love. They should be the ones apologizing." He scowled at them, particularly Tony, though he could not see for he had never uncovered his eyes.

"Perhaps you shouldn't barge into people's rooms like that, Stark. Who knows what you may have seen if just a few minutes had gone by," Pietro smirked.

Rani only could only sputter fragmented nonsense.

"Still, that was not an image I ever wanted to see." Wanda shuddered.

Pietro sent an apologetic shrug towards her.

"We came for a reason," Natasha cleared her throat pointedly.

Steve stepped forward. "We have a mission to complete."

Rani's brows furrowed as she gripped Pietro's shirt. "Who is going this time?"

She knew it was their job, but she did not like having to say goodbye to Pietro when he had to go on missions with the others.

"This mission requires all of us," Tony informed, his hands still on his eyes.

Pietro frowned. "All of us?" He looked at Rani and his grip on her tightened.

Wanda nodded. "We need you, especially, Rani."

Rani gaped. "Me? Why? What's happened?"

Tony removed his hands from his eyes. "It's Dr. Cho."

Rani cocked her head. She was unfamiliar with the name, but Pietro recognized it immediately. His face went blank, though his eyes were steely.

"She's been kidnapped," Steve added. "By Ulysses Klaue."

"I don't know either of them," Rani admitted.

"I'll fill you in," Natasha informed. "Call Evelyn. We're heading to the new Avengers facility now. After eight hours, we leave for our mission."

…

Rani studied herself in the long mirror. She was surprised to see that they each had a corresponding room at the new facility as well as the Stark Towers. Of course, this room was a tad smaller and less furnished; furthermore, the single closet was filled with clothing meant for training and missions.

She had tied her hip-length hair into a tight bun to keep her tresses out of her face. She wore a black, full-sleeved nylon shirt which was tucked into a pair of black nylon leggings. Her outfit was very form fitting but stretchy to allow more movement. Her hands were covered with black gloves.

She sat down on the bed to pull on a pair of black combat boots.

The door slid open, allowing Pietro to enter.

He looked at her, his face blank. Though Rani knew him well enough to know that he was nervous.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded and stood up.

"Wait, you're forgetting your belt." Pietro walked over to the closet and took out a narrow utility belt. He walked over to her, avoiding her eyes. She watched his face as he wrapped the belt around her hips and clipped it on in the front.

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

Pietro sighed, meeting her eyes. "I'm scared. This is your first mission and I don't want anything to happen to you. Are you sure you want to go?"

"Yes, I want to go. Steve said that I'm needed. Besides, I want to help save the woman who saved you."

Natasha had updated Rani on who Dr. Cho and Ulysses Klaue were: Dr. Cho was a friend and colleague of the Avengers. She was one of the head individuals running the new facility. She was also the inventor of the Cradle, which could regenerate living tissue, thus, heal wounds. After the fight with Ultron, Pietro had been severely wounded and he would not have survived had Dr. Cho not been ready with her Cradle. Though Pietro suffered from nearly twenty different bullet wounds, after a few days, he was as good as new.

Ulysses Klaue was a black market arms dealer, specializing in vibranium, the metal which created Captain America's shield. Ultron had taken some of Klaue's vibranium to create the body which became Vision.

Pietro smiled at Rani ruefully. "You make a great case. Just, _please_ , don't get hurt. I don't know what I'll do without you."

"You won't have to find out." Rani kissed him and he eagerly returned the favor.

He pulled away, panting. "We should get going. There's a meeting to tell us what we have to accomplish on this mission."

Rani nodded. He smiled once before taking her hand. They exited her room and walked down the glass hallways. They entered a large boardroom where the rest of the Avengers waited.

A man in a black trench coat with an eyepatch stood at the front of the room.

"We've never met before, Kapoor," he spoke at their entrance. "I'm Director Nick Fury, Head of the Avengers Initiative. It was one of my agents who scouted you seven months ago."

"It's nice to meet you," she smiled briefly.

He nodded once before turning to the rest of them.

"Dr. Helen Cho left last week to visit her laboratory in Seoul, which housed the Cradle. A few days after her arrival, she was taken by Ulysses Klaue, as well as the Cradle machine. We suspect that he is planning to use the Cradle to create a new arm for himself."

"Ultron cut of his arm," Pietro whispered to her. She nodded in understanding.

"This is an act of violence. We must retrieve Cho, the Cradle, all of his stores of vibranium, and whatever data he may have. We're going to wipe him clean and apprehend him, dead or alive."

"Which do you prefer?" Clint inquired.

Fury cocked his brow. "Take a guess."

"Gotcha." Clint nodded.

"Alright, Romanoff, Vision, and Pietro," Fury directed. "You'll be in charge of locating and rescuing Cho." They nodded.

"Thor, Rogers, and Stark, claim the vibranium and the Cradle. Barton, you'll be keeping watch for both groups."

Fury turned to Wanda and Rani. "You two are the stealthiest after Romanoff. Your powers will help protect you as you collect the data from Klaue's computers."

He handed Wanda a microchip.

"I do not know how to use such technology." She cautiously accepted the chip, which was no larger than her thumb.

"All you have to do is insert it into the main computer and it will begin to send all of the files to our computers. The chip must not be removed during the data transfer, otherwise it will cancel all progress."

"Banner, there won't be any need for Hulk as this is mainly a stealth mission. You will be conducting the mission from outside. As for the rest of you, try to get in and out without detection, but be prepared to engage in combat. That is all. Prepare the jet."

…

Rani had not felt anxious until the jet had landed in the middle of the Wakanda jungle. Everyone stood from their seats to depart the jet except for Bruce. Rani placed a tense hand on the handgun by her side.

She felt a hand on top of hers.

Rani looked up at Pietro, biting her lip. He smiled reassuringly. "Everything is going to be okay. Don't worry."

Wanda placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her. "We'll be together every step of the way."

"Alright, everybody. Let's move," Steve commanded. "Banner, how far away is the base?"

"It's about three miles. You should walk so you don't alert them."

Steve nodded. "We'll see you soon."

They all exited the jet; they were immediately met with the humidity of the jungle. It was difficult to see through the darkness. The various sounds of nocturnal animals and insects seemed more foreboding because of the lack of light.

Rani felt Pietro's hand in hers.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

They began the long walk through the jungle. Pietro was tempted to run but he would risk giving away their cover; Iron Man, Vision and Thor could not even risk flying. As they neared the enemy base, the group spoke less.

Finally, they arrived outside of a large, albeit decaying fort.

"Everyone, make sure your earpieces are synced with each other," Steve ordered. "Split into your squadrons. Clint, scope out an entrance."

Wanda parted from Vision with a quick hug and walked over to Rani.

Pietro hugged them both. "Take care of each other."

"We will," Wanda nodded.

Rani kissed him urgently. "I love you."

He smiled fleetingly. "I love you, too."

Clint returned momentarily. "I've found an opening in the back. We can crawl through two at a time."

Within minutes, they had infiltrated the fort. As soon as had they stepped in, they heard Bruce's voice in their ears.

"I'm configuring a map based on the radar readings from your location…there! As of right now, you're closest to the vibranium storage. A little after that, there'll be a door that will take you down to the cells. You'll probably find Helen there."

"Anything on the data collection site?" Steve queried.

"Wanda and Rani will have to go the opposite way of you guys."

"Okay. Try to locate the Cradle, Banner."

"Copy that."

Steve said nothing, merely glanced at each of them. He nodded and they dispersed. Rani spared a look over her shoulder at Pietro as she went with Wanda. He smiled before speeding away.

"Be on the lookout, Rani. We must be very cautious."

Rani nodded, her hand resting on her gun. She was grateful for the extra weapon, though she prayed she wouldn't need it.

…

"I've located Cho. Third cell from the left, west wing, second level," Clint spoke in hushed tones.

"Copy," Natasha whispered.

She nodded at Pietro and Vision and they crept down the halls. All of the cells were empty, save for Dr. Helen Cho's.

When they arrived at the cell, Clint returned to the upper level to keep watch. Natasha easily broke open the cell and helped Dr. Cho out. Her once white lab clothing were filthy and torn and her hair was equally messy.

"Thank you so much," she expressed her gratitude.

"You're welcome," Natasha smiled.

"What did he need you for?" Vision inquired.

"He made me create a new arm for him," Helen explained. "After that, he planned on using me as leverage over the Avengers."

"Well, don't worry. You'll be out of here soon." Natasha guaranteed.

They snuck to their secret entrance, nearly coming upon a group of guards. Once they were at the opening, Natasha turned to the male Maximoff.

"Pietro, run her to the jet and then come back," Natasha instructed. Pietro nodded and swiftly picked up the doctor, taking off into the jungle.

"We have rescued Dr. Cho," Vision spoke.

"Copy," Steve responded. "We've located the vault and the Cradle. Romanoff, Vision, could you take care of the Cradle?"

"Copy that," Natasha whispered. "Bruce? Can we get some directions?"

"Definitely."

…

Tony hastily attached controlled bombs to the corners of the vault. Thor was on the roof of the building, stowing away the bodies of the guards they had tranquilized.

"We'll have to wait until the last possible minute because these bombs are going to give us away within seconds of going off," Tony mumbled.

"Alright. Thor, as soon as we can get the vault detached, carry it to the jet," Steve directed.

"I understand," they heard his response.

"We're going to have to wait until the last moment, as well," Natasha voiced. "The Cradle is surrounded."

Steve thought for a minute. "Rani, Wanda, what is your status?"

"We've just inserted the microchip into the main computer," Rani replied.

"Let us know when it's more than halfway done, then we'll set off the bombs and use it as a diversion for the Cradle to be removed."

"Copy."

…

"Will they be alright?" Rani whispered, gesturing to the three men piled in the corner of the control room.

"They'll be fine, the tranquilizers wear off within 24 hours," Wanda assured. She stood with her back against the wall beside the doorway, keeping watch as Rani tracked the progress of the chip.

"How far are we?" Wanda asked.

"45 percent."

"We're nearly halfway done," Wanda spoke.

"Alright, wait just a few more minutes—" Steve began.

"Rani, Wanda, guards incoming." Clint's voice cut him off.

Wanda and Rani looked at each other in alarm.

Rani and Wanda immediately hid within the room as they heard approaching footsteps. Someone stopped before the door and the handle began to turn.

A loud explosion sounded, causing everything to shake.

"What was that?!" The man outside the door shouted.

Another man responded. "It sounds like it's coming from the vault!"

All of the footsteps fled and faded away.

"We just bought you two some time, but not a lot," Steve said. "Thor, Stark, move!"

Wanda and Rani hurried back to the computer.

"70 percent," Rani read the meter. "It's going to take too long!"

Wanda bit her lip and furrowed her brows before looking at Rani. "Be prepared to fight. The guards will come back soon."

…

Steve fought off four men while Thor and Tony struggled to lift the heavy vault.

"Romanoff! Barton! We need some back up!" Steve shouted.

"On our way!" Natasha replied. "Vision has just delivered the Cradle to the jet."

Pietro arrived first, followed by Vision. They immediately joined Captain America against the thirty odd guards shooting at them.

"Vision, help Thor and Stark!" Steve yelled over his shoulder. Vision nodded and flew to the vault. With his help, the three flew away with the vault.

One of the guards yelled to his comrade. "Alert Klaue, they've taken the vibranium!"

Natasha momentarily took out the comrade while Clint took care of the guard who made the order.

"How are Rani and Wanda going to know if guards are approaching?" Natasha kicked a man in the face, knocking him out.

"They're on their own for now," Clint answered, shooting an arrow. He groaned when forty more soldiers appeared. "Fu—"

"Language!" Tony chastised in their ears.

Captain America threw one soldier into three others. "Seriously?!"

…

"How much more?"

"Fifteen percent to go," Rani answered.

The door burst open, allowing a swarm of soldiers to enter.

"We have to protect the computer!" Wanda shouted. She immediately sent a burst of red fog towards some of the men, throwing them back. Rani shoved a desk towards another group of men, trapping them against the wall.

Wanda shielded them from a spray of bullets, which Rani shot back at the soldiers.

Wanda smiled at her. With her attention diverted for just a second, a stray bullet hit Wanda on the left side of her abdomen. She yelped, falling back.

Rani threw all of the soldiers back with more force. She felt herself draining them of a little bit of their energy. As she held Wanda, she reigned in her fear and anger. She didn't want to kill any of them, despite what they had done.

"Wanda has been hit, I repeat, Wanda has been hit!" Rani shouted.

Within seconds, Pietro was by their side. He cupped Wanda's cheek and she smiled weakly at him.

"You need to get her back to the jet," Rani instructed. "She needs medical attention and she needs to be taken back to the facility immediately!"

Pietro picked his sister up, carrying her in his arms. "What about you? I can't just leave you here!"

Rani turned him towards the door. "She's losing blood, Pietro. I'll be fine. The others will come get me. I won't leave until this is done."

She kissed his lips briefly before pushing him towards the door. He looked over his shoulder with pain in his blue eyes.

"Go!" Rani insisted.

"We'll come for you soon." Pietro sped away and Rani turned back to the computer.

90 percent. Almost there.

…

Another horde of soldiers appeared around the corner.

"I'm taking Wanda back to the jet!" Captain America heard Pietro speak.

"We need to retreat, there's too many of them." Clint placed shot another arrow.

"The vault is so heavy that Vision, Thor, and Stark are taking too long to get it to the jet," Clint informed. "We don't have any back up."

"I'm ordering a retreat," Captain America nodded after a moment's thought. "We'll escape through the opening that the bombs made."

"What about Rani?" Natasha asked. Her face was grim.

Steve listened to the sound of the bullets raining upon them. He turned to Natasha, determination set in his jaw.

"We are not going to leave her behind."

…

Rani impatiently tapped her finger on the desk, her eyes trained on the computer screen while her ears were listening for approaching footsteps.

97 percent…98 percent…99 percent…

Rani grinned.

100 percent.

"The transfer is complete," Rani informed the Avengers.

"Oh, is it?"

Rani whirled around to face a man she had never seen before. He was an older man with a thick beard and medium build. He glared at her with beady blue eyes, his skin layered with sweat and grime, although one of his arms seemed much cleaner. He pointed a gun at her.

"You've been messing with my stuff, haven't you?" He stalked towards her as other soldiers arrive and join him in pointing their guns.

Rani said nothing, petrified with fear. He doesn't have to tell her who he is for her to know. This was Ulysses Klaue.

"You must be one of the Avengers." He growled, his eyes filling with anger. "You are, I know you are. Well, I know just how to deal with you."

He cocked his gun and Rani made it fly out of his hand. She threw the men behind him against the walls. She attempted to run for the door but one of the soldiers grabbed her ankle. She fell to the ground and Ulysses picked her up by the collar of her shirt.

"Very interesting powers, missy," Ulysses cooed. "Unfortunately, they'll only get in the way."

He hurled her at one of the desks. She collided with it, slamming the side of her head against the edge and falling to the floor, unconscious.

"Take her and let's evacuate. Now!" Ulysses commanded.

…

As Steve, Natasha, and Clint were fighting the deluge of soldiers, the enemy forces suddenly began to retreat. Not hesitating for a moment, they ran towards the control room where Rani should have been.

Instead, they came upon a trashed, empty room. Natasha walked over to the main computer and extracted the microchip. The words "Transfer Complete" flashed repeatedly on the screen.

"There's no sign of her," Clint observed. "Nor anyone else."

"He's taken her hostage." Natasha's grip on the chip strengthened. "That bastard."

Bruce's voice sounded in their ears. "We need to leave now. Wanda needs severe medical attention."

Steve hesitated, clearly torn between helping Wanda and tracking down Rani.

"We'll find her, _after_ we save Wanda," Clint gripped Steve's shoulder.

After a second, he nodded.

"Banner, start the jet and meet us halfway," Steve ordered.

"On our way."

They ran out of the abandoned fort, following the sound of the jet. It landed within a couple yards of them without turning off the engine. As soon as they had entered the jet, it lifted off from the ground and flew towards its coordinates for New York.

The vault and cradle were situated in the lower compartment of the jet. In the main compartment, Tony and Dr. Cho worked on Wanda, who lay on a kind of operating table. Pietro gripped her hands tightly, their eyes connected as Tony and Helen staunched her bleeding. Vision stood on her other side.

"How is she?" Natasha approached them.

Thor and Steve leaned against the wall of the jet, exhausted.

Clint walked over to the cockpit, where Bruce was flying the plane. "You go help them, I'll take over here."

Bruce nodded and, after briefly hugging Natasha, began to aid Tony and Helen.

"I can't remove the bullet, it's pierced through her liver and gone into her stomach." Helen frantically pressed more gauze to the wound.

"But she'll be okay?" Vision inquired.

"Yes, the sooner we get back to the facility," Helen nodded.

Pietro sighed with relief and whispered to Wanda in Sokovian.

"You're going to be okay." He kissed her forehead and took a step back, looking around the jet. His smile of relief quickly faded into one of panic and disbelief.

"Where is Rani?"

Natasha locked eyes with Steve. Neither said anything; Clint was silent in the cockpit, as well. Thor, Tony, Bruce and Vision looked between them and Pietro. The jet was heavy with silence.

Pietro snarled and sped towards Steve, fisting his collar. "Where is she?!"

Steve could not look at him as he spoke. "Ulysses took her. We had to leave."

Pietro's grip loosened as he stepped away. His face blanched and a thin coat of tears filled his eyes. "We must go back! We have to go back for her!"

Steve placed his hands on Pietro's shoulders, attempting to placate him. "We need to help Wanda first. Look at me, I swear to you, we _will_ find her."

Pietro ripped away from him and sped to the other end of the jet, far from the others. He turned his back to them, frustrated and angry. Silent tears slid down his cheeks as he gritted his teeth and his hands curled into fists.

He covered his face, clearly devastated. _How could this happen?_ _How could he not protect her?_

Pietro wiped his tears. Whatever may have happened, he knew that he would definitely save Rani and bring her back home.


	13. Hope

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 13

Rani's eyes fluttered open, though she was still enveloped in darkness. As her sight adjusted to the lack of light, she became aware of the small cell which she occupied.

The air was thick with heat, pressing against her. She struggled to stand, only to find that her feet were shackled, as were her hands. She felt panic trickle into her as she crawled through the darkness in search of anything. The ground was littered with pebbles and dirt. Her fingers struck a wall and she used it to help her stand up.

She walked around the circumference of her small cell, using the wall as a crutch. She felt something jut out from the wall and, as she squinted at the object, she realized it was a door handle. She yanked on it desperately but she was not surprised that it was locked.

Rani moved to the wall opposite the door and slid down to sit against it.

She felt tears of fear prick her eyes. She was a prisoner, and there was no escape.

Oh, how she longed to be back home with the Avengers, with Natasha and Wanda, with Pietro and Purnima.

She tilted her head back as a tear streamed from the outer corner of her eye. It trailed down the side of her face and behind the top of her ear. She roughly wiped away the tear, hissing at the throbbing pain encompassing the right side of her head.

Surely the Avengers would come to save her, there was no doubt about that. It was only a matter of time before they would be here and she could go back home.

…but how much time?

At the most, they would come for her once Wanda was stable.

Rani sighed. She hoped that the female Maximoff was alright. She could only imagine how devastated Pietro would be if Wanda didn't make it out okay. He had lost enough family as it was.

Rani wondered how devastated he would be if _she_ didn't survive this; she wondered how devastated he had been when he realized that she hadn't returned with Natasha, Steve, and Clint.

She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She knew in her heart that he would turn the world upside down to find her, because that is what she would do for him. Rani lacked confidence and certainty in other areas, but there was no doubt in her mind that Pietro loved her. If she had learned anything over the nine months since her joining the Avengers and the seven months of her relationship with Pietro, it was that she had a wonderful family that was willing to fight to the end for her and a lover who cherished her and thought of her as an equal.

Yes, they would come for her and, no matter how long it took, she would wait. She would not lose hope.

…

Pietro sat at Wanda's bedside, loosely holding her hand as she slept. Though his eyes watched her, his thoughts were far away.

The minute they had returned to the new facility, Dr. Cho had used the Cradle on Wanda, repairing her body. Pietro would have never known that his twin had been wounded. Although her wounds had healed, Wanda still suffered from immense blood loss, thus she was recuperating in a bed.

The room buzzed with the sounds of multiple machines, all of them monitoring Wanda as she rested.

Pietro paid no heed to the various noises, his mind occupied by guilt and anger. He should have stayed with Rani, or taken her with him. Now, he had lost her. _How could he let this happen?_

"Pietro, it's not your fault." She whispered in Sokovian.

Pietro's gaze focused on Wanda. "I shouldn't have left her behind. She could be anywhere. They could be doing anything to her."

"But stressing about what has already happened isn't going to solve anything," Wanda rasped. She squeezed his hand, imploring him. "Things like this happen. What we need to think about now is how we're going to get her back."

"You won't be able to come with us," Pietro shook his head. She opened her mouth to object but he glared. She shut her mouth, pouting.

"I feel bad, too, you know." Her voice cracked, and she looked away from him. Tears welled in her eyes. "If I had been more careful, then I wouldn't have gotten hurt and we wouldn't have had to leave her behind. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine."

Pietro choked on his emotions. If there was one person he couldn't handle crying, it was Wanda. "Shh, don't think like that. You said it yourself, stressing about the past won't solve anything. I promise, we will bring her back home."

Wanda weakly smiled at him and he kissed her forehead.

The door opened and Vision entered with Steve.

"We're preparing to head out again," Steve informed.

"You've found her?" Pietro exclaimed. His heart was beating within his chest, excited by the idea of rescuing Rani.

"Banner and Stark are working on it. They're scanning the data that Wanda and Rani collected for any other bases that Klaue would have retreated to." Vision explained as he floated over to Wanda.

"How are you feeling?" He murmured.

She gleamed up at him. "Better."

Pietro couldn't help the frown from growing on his features. He chose to ignore their exchange and looked back at Steve.

"When are we leaving?" Pietro stood from his seat eagerly.

"As soon as we find out where he's taken her," Steve answered. "Why don't we join Stark and Banner and see if we can help them?"

Pietro nodded and followed Steve out the door. He turned around to close the door.

"Hey, robot," he called. Vision and Wanda looked at him. "No funny business."

"Pietro!" Wanda cried out, blushing as she glared at him.

"Like you and Rani, I suppose?" Vision replied with a straight face, though Pietro was certain that there was a slight smirk on the robot's face.

Pietro glared and opened his mouth to release a string of curses and threats, but Steve pulled him away.

They walked down the corridor, passing by all of their rooms. Pietro stared at Rani's door, forlorn. They entered the main room in the facility and sat down at a long conference table with the rest of the Avengers. Fury stood at the head of the table, watching the large screen connected to Bruce's computer.

"How much longer is this supposed to take?" Natasha asked, peering over Bruce's shoulder.

"Our good friend Ulysses has a huge file, if you haven't noticed," Tony quipped, waving a stack of papers in his hand. While Bruce was searching through all of the data that they had collected from Klaue's computers, Tony was doing a little old-fashioned research.

"He doesn't have many associates, none that are still alive, anyway." Tony handed a few papers to Steve and Thor.

"Looks to me like he's burnt a lot of bridges." Steve flipped through the papers.

Thor nodded pensively. "Yes, he has certainly destroyed a few of his own rainbow bridges."

The others looked at their Asgardian friend with confusion, but chose not to say anything.

"…right…so, he doesn't have anywhere to run to outside of Wakanda, no other allies, no way out of the country," Tony continued.

"Here!" Bruce highlighted a part of the data, pinpointing the location of Klaue's only other base. The large screen at the front of the room displayed the highlighted data and a map of Wakanda and the regions surrounding it.

A scanner ran over the area, zooming in to a certain point of the map.

A red dot flashed repeatedly, indicating the location of the base.

"Get in touch with the computers there," Fury ordered. "We're going to send a little message."

…

Ulysses Klaue sat in his office, a small, dank room with a solitary desk. His men had taken as much as they could from his previous office but it was nothing compared to what they had lost. Klaue clenched one hand into a fist, the fingers of his new hand lightly tracing the brand on his neck.

"That vibranium came at a great cost," he murmured. "A great, great cost."

After Ultron had cut off his arm, he and his men had escaped with as much vibranium as they could carry. He had only shown Ultron one of his smaller stores.

Klaue gazed at his new arm. It took a week for the doctor to recreate his arm.

He felt blood rush into his head and his temples throbbed with anger. That excruciating pain, it was Ultron's fault, and through Ultron, the Avengers. Especially Tony Stark. Klaue wanted Stark's blood more than any amount of vibranium.

But it would be impossible to get rid of Stark. He would have to settle for Stark's comrade, the girl Klaue had imprisoned.

"Sir, we have an incoming message," one of his men entered the room with an expression of urgency.

"A message? We don't usually get any of those…" Klaue rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

"Sir, it's…from the Avengers."

Klaue froze for a good minute. The messenger opened his mouth to repeat the information.

Klaue swiped his arm across the top of his deck, shoving everything to the ground. The informant flinched, sweat accumulating on his forehead.

The man, as well as the rest of Klaue's henchmen, felt that for the past year, after his arm was cut off, Klaue's sanity had gone on a steady downward spiral.

Before, the black market arms dealer was known for his calculated movements and sharp mind; now, his eyes had a crazed look to them as they skirted wildly about their surroundings. Anger fueled his thoughts and actions, causing him to lash out with little mercy. He desired revenge, and would stop at nothing until he had achieved it.

Klaue stood from the desk and cleared his throat, a deadly glare set on his face. "Let's see what they have to say. And clean this up."

Klaue left the man in his office while he headed to the main control room. He walked over to their solitary computer and nodded at the man sitting in front of it. Their equipment was not advanced enough to provide video, but it did provide clear audio.

…

"He's present," Bruce whispered to Fury.

"Ulysses Klaue, you have three days to surrender and hand over Rani Kapoor," Fury commanded without hesitation.

Klaue's voice returned with a tinge of skepticism. "Or else what?"

"I think you know."

"I'm curious," Klaue responded after a moment. "How did you find this base?"

"That does not concern you. Do you agree to surrender?"

"Oh, I don't know. I've taken a bit of a fancy to Miss Kapoor…she's quite the work of art." Pietro clenched his fist, his expression darkening at the sound of Klaue chuckling. If he laid a hand on Rani, Pietro swore to God—

"Let's not play games, Klaue. You and I both know how soon we could get a whole fleet of soldiers on your ass. They might even be outside of your base right now, waiting for my order." Fury was calm and persistent, not backing down for an instant.

"Ah, but she'd be dead by the time you could make that order."

Steve had to clamp a hand down on Pietro's shoulder to keep him from rising from his seat.

"Then you'd be declaring your own death sentence," Fury fired back.

There was a slight pause. "Let's talk business. How about a trade, the girl for my stores of vibranium?"

"Why don't you just comply and return her to us?"

"Why don't I just kill her?" Klaue all but shouted. Impatience and irritation colored his tone.

They all remained silent while Klaue continued. "Yes, perhaps I _will_ return her to you. First, an arm…then a leg…and I'll finish with that pretty head of hers."

Fury glared at the computer screen, his lips forming a thin line. "We'll return the vibranium."

"Excellent." Klaue accepted calmly, as though he knew the Avengers would submit to his deal. "Oh, and no funny business. Her life _is_ on the line."

Fury motioned for Bruce to disconnect the call. Though the screen went dark, Fury continued to gaze at it.

"Fury…we can't hand over the vibranium." Tony stood from his seat, his eyes somber. "It's dangerous in Klaue's hands."

"So, what then?" Pietro growled, rising to his feet and slamming his palms on the table. "We let him kill her?!"

"Stand down, Maximoff," Steve held a hand out.

"Tony is right, we can't let him have the vibranium," Bruce nodded.

"But we can't let him kill Rani," Natasha interjected as she coldly glanced at Bruce.

"He would know instantly if we didn't bring the vibranium," Clint commented.

"Then our only option is to attack," Thor spoke calmly, though his plan entailed irrationality.

"Thor is right," Fury nodded. "We have no other choice. We carry out a surprise attack, our main goal being to rescue Rani and apprehend Klaue. We're going to lock up this son of a bitch."

"When can we leave?" Steve asked.

"As soon as Wanda can get out of bed. If we're declaring war on Klaue, we're going to need every bit of man and womanpower, we can get. Along with the Avengers team, I'll be including three squads of fifteen soldiers. Klaue will be lacking resources since he's recently moved their base. We need to strike while the iron is hot."

Fury sat down at the head of the table. "Rogers, Stark, we'll plan out the attack. Barton and Romanoff, prepare the troops. Banner, Thor, prepare an inventory of weapons and supplies. Maximoff, attend to your sister."

Pietro nodded and zoomed off to his sister's room. Without a second thought, he opened the door, coming upon Vision kissing Wanda. His hands flew up to shield his eyes while he uttered a string of Sokovian curses.

"Pietro!" Wanda gasped before shouting at him in Sokovian.

Vision, more embarrassed and flustered than he had ever been, immediately fled from the room.

"Come back here, you—you—" Pietro made to run after him but decided against it. He turned back towards Wanda. "I'm willing to forget that happened if you are."

"Forgotten," Wanda nodded once.

Pietro wasted no time in explaining what Klaue had said and the Avengers' plan of action. "Do you think you're ready to come with us? I don't want you to push yourself."

"Pietro, I'm fine. If you can survive twenty odd bullets, I can surely walk away from one. I want to help bring Rani home."

Pietro smiled, cupping Wanda's cheek and kissing her on the forehead.

"Let's get going then."

…

Klaue gleefully walked back to his office. The objects which he had shoved to the floor were neatly arranged on his desk once again. He sat down in the worn chair and leaned back.

"Soon, I'll have returned to me what is mine," Klaue grinned to himself. The grin faded, replaced by a cold, pensive stare.

"But where's the guarantee? What if they don't bring back my vibranium?"

Klaue hunched over his desk and began to sketch on a spare piece of paper.

"I'll use that girl to make sure that they bring my vibranium. If they don't, she'll pay that price."

He shouted for one of his henchmen. When a man arrived, Klaue handed him the crude sketch and stood from his seat.

"Have this built. I don't care how you do it as long as it is done."

The man studied the paper with confusion.

Klaue's eyebrow twitched. "Now!"

The man fled from the office, paper in hand. Klaue exited the office as well, and made his way to the prisoner's cell. He nodded at the man guarding the cell door.

"Have you drugged her?"

"Not yet, sir."

"Make sure it's done. And rough her up a bit."

"Yes, sir."

…

Rani lay on the ground of her cell, holding back tears. A few moments ago, a man entered and wordlessly began to beat her. She cried out, trying to fight back but to no avail—she was weak from hunger and fatigue. After a few more strikes, the man injected something into her arm and she began to feel dizzy.

Under the spinning of her head, she felt a heavy, aching pain throbbing throughout her body. She lost track of time, the passing minutes becoming years. All she felt was pain. Every now and then, the man would return and either beat her or inject her again.

When she heard the door open once more, Rani would have flinched if she could move her body. However, rather than drug her or abuse her, the man roughly dragged her out of the cell. Rani was vaguely aware of the hallways and passages through which the man trudged.

Momentarily, he threw her onto a chair, propping her up sloppily. He removed the shackles from around her wrists and ankles.

Her head lolled to the side and she struggled to straighten up. She was blinded by the sudden lights turning on overhead. A blurred figure approached her. The figure gripped her chin, surveying her face.

"My, it doesn't look like you've been enjoying your stay."

Rani recognized Klaue's voice.

He let go of her chin, circling her as a vulture circles its prey. "I am a _terrible_ host. I haven't visited you once in the past two days that you've been here."

Two days? She'd been here for only two days? It had felt much longer than that.

"But I like to think that I have a reasonable excuse. You see, I was building something for you," Klaue's eyes gleamed as he watched her. "The Avengers are coming to rescue you. But this little something that I've built will make sure that they follow the rules. _My_ rules."

Rani could have cried tears of joy. They were coming for her! They were coming to rescue her! But her joy was short lived; she dreaded what Klaue had planned to force them to obey him.

"Put her inside," Klaue ordered.

A pair of arms lifted her from the seat while another pair wrapped a chain around her wrists, pinning her arms behind her. They pushed her into a large, half-metal, half-glass cylinder. They wrapped another set of chains around her ankles, attaching the chains to a ring jutting from the floor. She slumped against the metal wall behind her.

"I would have had a better one built but we're lacking resources and time. We did the best we could with what we had. I hope you like it," Klaue grinned at her. He closed the glass door, locking it in place with an iron bar. The cylinder lacked a roof and the walls, save for the glass door, were made of smooth metal. It was very similar to a shower.

"Would you like to see what it does?" Klaue whispered loudly through the glass.

He nodded at someone Rani could not see and, to her utter horror, water began to fill the cylinder. She leaned on the wall and clambered to her feet. The water slowly crept up to her knees, then her hips.

"Marvelous, isn't it?" Klaue chuckled. "If the Avengers don't return my vibranium, you'll be swimming with the fish before they can get to you. So, let's hope for both of our sakes that they bring what they're supposed to."

Klaue allowed the water to rise up to Rani's shoulders and pass her neck. Rani began to rise with the water levels, but the chain around her ankles kept her from rising any higher. The water stopped just above the tip of her nose. Rani thrashed wildly about, hoping to splash the water over the side of the open top, but the crude contraption was built well enough.

Just when Rani was certain that she would drown right then and there, with her lungs constricting painfully from the lack of air, Klaue opened the glass door and stepped to the side. The water rushed out onto the floor and Rani fell to the floor of the cylinder, sputtering and coughing.

"Works like a charm," Klaue patted the metal wall fondly and slammed the glass door shut. Rani watched him walk away as her vision faded and turned black.

…

The Avengers wasted no time after Wanda got out of bed. They hastily prepared themselves and boarded a larger quinjet. Steve and Tony explained the plan as soon as the jet had lifted from the ground.

"We're going to need everyone to fight, including you Banner. Even though Fury gave us all of these soldiers to help us, I don't want any of them to get hurt," Steve began.

"Basically, we're going to bring the vibranium storage safe with us and the moment they open it, we're going to attack," Tony explained.

"There's more to it than just that." Steve gave Tony a pointed look. "Stark, Vision, and I will deliver the safe to them at the front. Meanwhile, Romanoff, Barton, and Thor will each lead a regiment of troops to surround them. With as much stealth as possible."

Natasha, Clint and Thor nodded in understanding.

"As soon as you hear their screams of outrage and pain, feel free to jump in." Tony inserted.

"As soon as the fighting stars," Steve emphasized, ignoring Tony, "the Maximoffs will go search for Rani."

Pietro gave Steve a small smile. He appreciated that they were allowing him to find Rani himself; then again, they probably knew that he would disregard whatever they told him to do and try to find her anyway.

"What about me?" Bruce inquired with uncertainty. The crease between his brows grew deeper when Tony smirked.

"Oh, we have something special planned for you, buddy."

…

The quinejet landed just a few meters from the base. When they were approached by two arm men, Iron Man, Captain America, and Vision exited the aircraft. Eight of Iron Man's special robots carried the large safe out of the back. Though these were eight of Tony Stark's strongest machines, they still creaked under the weight of the safe.

"This way," one of the men ordered, gesturing towards the base.

Iron Man and Captain America shared a quick glance.

They entered through the large double doors, the safe following behind them. Once they had passed through, another pair of soldiers closed the doors. They entered into a large warehouse with multiple floors and tunnels. Clouded windows lined the tops of the walls, letting in streams of fading sunlight. The robots carefully set down the safe, the rumbling thump echoing throughout.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Klaue greeted them cheerfully.

They said nothing in return.

"Well, this looks very promising." Klaue neared the large safe. "I'm curious, where are the rest of you? I expected everyone to be here after all of those threats…"

Tony bit his lip underneath his mask.

"There was no need for the entire team for just a delivery mission," Captain America coolly answered. "Now, we've brought you what you wanted, so bring us Rani Kapoor."

Klaue eyed him carefully. "We'll be checking the safe first."

"But how do we know that you've held up your end of the bargain?" Vision countered. His face was blank, betraying no signs of distress. Klaue narrowed his eyes.

" _The safe first_ ," Klaue growled. He waved a hand and a few of his soldiers stepped forward. They walked up to the safe and immediately reached for the door handle.

The Avengers tensed, waiting.

The soldiers fumbled with the heavy handle and slowly heaved the door open.

"Hurry it up!" Klaue shouted.

Once it was open, only darkness could be seen within. Klaue frowned and stepped towards the safe, peering into it.

"What is this?! Why is it empty?!" He turned on the Avengers and whipped out his pistol.

"I wouldn't say that it was empty," Iron Man admitted.

The Hulk burst out from the safe and immediately began to attack the armed soldiers surrounding them. Simultaneously, the three separate squads led by Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor smashed through the side walls and the front entrance, joining in the fight.

Klaue's men immediately began to fight back but they were heavily outnumbered. Klaue frantically looked around him before escaping into one of the hallways. Moments later, Pietro sped into the fight while carrying Wanda. They stopped beside Captain America, awaiting his instructions.

"Klaue disappeared down that hallway," Captain America pointed a gloved finger. "Follow after him, he'll lead you right to Rani."

Pietro nodded and ran in the direction the Captain had indicated. Wanda and Pietro froze when a large number of soldiers clambered into their path, raising their guns. Wanda shielded them from the spray of bullets.

"Go! I'll take care of this!" Wanda urged Pietro, expanding her shield.

"Please be careful!" Pietro begged his sister before speeding on, hoping to find Klaue or Rani. He caught sight of the former turning a corner and Pietro followed after him. The minute he entered into a large room, Pietro was drenched by a green mist. He coughed, trying to wave away the smoke with his hand but his movements became sluggish. Pietro fell to his knees, feeling the earth spin beneath his fingertips.

"This mist is composed of a drug found in a rare species of puffer fish. It causes the victim's vision to become hazy and slows them down." Klaue spoke from behind a gas mask, his voice slightly muffled. When the mist had cleared, he pulled the mask off of his face, glaring down at the male Maximoff.

"Where…is…she?" The words were drawn out, taking too long to leave his lips.

"Why, she's right here." Klaue stepped back, knocking down a long wooden board that was hiding a large glass tank. Inside, Rani, bruised and bloodied, sat in a heap on the floor.

"What…did you do…to her?" Pietro growled, struggling to his feet.

Klaue walked over to him leisurely before kicking his face. Pietro could not help but cry out as he flew into a stack of boxes.

The loud clatter awoke Rani, who rose to her feet with difficulty. She shouted and pounded on the glass as she watched Klaue relentlessly attack Pietro.

Klaue turned to look at her and strode over to the machine. She banged on the glass once more as he turned it on. Rani was filled with dread as she watched water pour into the tank, pooling around her feet once again.

"Pietro! Pietro!" Tears spilled out of her eyes as Klaue beat Pietro over and over. _I have to do something!_

Though her body was exhausted and her mind increasingly aware of the danger she was in, she calmed herself. Just as the water rose above her nose, she took a deep breath and swam closer to the glass door.

 _Focus…focus…focus…_

Klaue looked down at Pietro's crumpled body and laughed.

"Did you honestly think that I wouldn't be prepared for this? I knew you _Avengers_ ," he sneered, "would try to trick me. But if I'm going down, I'm going to drag you all to hell with me!" He pulled out his gun and aimed at Pietro.

Rani's lungs were burning and her the edges of her vision were becoming increasingly darker. She set her attention on Klaue's form. With that last of her energy, she made her move.

Pietro awaited the bullet that would surely pierce him, but he felt nothing. He looked up at Klaue, noticing his pained expression. He fell to his knees and curled into a helpless ball.

Pietro's eyes snapped to Rani, who was glaring at Klaue's form. Her eyes then looked to him, and Pietro felt lighter, more powerful. He was able to rise from the ground and kick Klaue's gun away from him. He sped over to the tank, just as Rani's eyes fluttered shut, and slammed his fist into the door.

The glass shattered under the speed and strength of his blow and water flowed out from the machine. Pietro caught Rani in his arms and broke the chains ensnaring her limbs.

She lay unconscious in his arms. Pietro smoothed the hair from her face and tried to feel for a pulse, grimacing as the blood from his knuckles smeared against her dark skin.

He squinted as tears brimmed his eyes. "Come on…come on…"

His fingers fumbled against her jaw, searching for a sign of life.

There. It was there. He felt it, weak but beating all the same. He sighed in relief and held her to him, crying silently.

"Pietro!" Wanda called out to him. Vision hovered by her side. She ran over to them while Vision approached Klaue's curled figure.

"Is she alright?!" Wanda kneeled beside Pietro, placing a delicate hand on Rani's soaked head.

"She'll be okay as soon as we get her home," Pietro murmured.

Captain America entered with Iron Man and Thor.

"I'm glad to see that Rani is going to be okay," the Captain smiled. "And you've managed to apprehend Klaue. Good work, Pietro."

"It was thanks to Rani." Pietro stood from the ground, cradling Rani in his arms. "She took Klaue's energy and gave it to me so that I would have the strength to free her from that tank."

"So she can transfer energy, too," Thor nodded. "That's amazing."

"Thor, Vision, take care of Klaue. Clint and Natasha are done rounding up all of Klaue's soldiers and the Hulk." Captain America motioned towards Klaue. "We're going home."

 **So sorry for the long wait! I've been too busy, unfortunately. There aren't many chapters left to this story. I would like to thank all of you who have followed this story from the beginning to the end! Please review and let me know what you thought of it!**


	14. Now and Forever

**Moving Forward**

Chapter 14

Rani was surrounded by darkness. But she knew that was only what she could see. She felt the slight aching of her body, the smooth blanket draped across her. She twitched a finger, dragging her nail on the light fabric. A hand momentarily clasped hers, giving her a light squeeze. The skin placed against hers was warm and lightly calloused.

A variety of sounds came to her, muffled but becoming clearer. Machinery and their whirring and beeping. Water being poured into a glass, ice clinking. A chair sliding against the floor, coming closer to her.

"She's waking up."

She did not know that voice. Her brows furrowed of their own accord, and she felt the nerves in her face awaken.

She could smell cologne, mingling with the chemical staleness of their surroundings. But she could also smell something sweet and fresh. She took a deeper breath. Oh, yes. Flowers. Roses and lilies to be specific.

"I know."

Rani's heart gave a strong thump when she heard the second voice. She knew that voice, knew it as her lungs knew air.

 _Pietro_.

She longed to see his face, to peer into his electrifying, blue eyes. She wanted, no, _needed_ to see him, for it meant that she would be _home_.

"Wake up, my love." His sweet whisper blew across her cheeks, followed by a butterfly kiss upon her forehead.

Rani opened her eyes, her blurred vision quickly focusing on Pietro's smiling face. She felt tears form a thin layer on her eyes and, as she smiled up at him, a single drop trailed out of the corner of her eye.

"Pietro…"

His smile faltered and he grimaced as tears spilt from his own eyes. He burrowed into her chest, wrapping his arms around her torso. Rani smiled as she placed a weak hand on his head, feeling his quaking body.

"I thought I was…going to lose you," he wept.

"Shh," she murmured. "It's going to be alright. I'm okay, I'm home."

Pietro held onto her for a few moments more before he pulled back and wiped his face. He helped her to sit up and handed her the glass of water. She accepted the glass, smiling softly as he blinked away his remaining tears.

"Where are we?" She sipped timidly on the chilled water. She shivered as it reminded her of the glass chamber Klaue had built.

"After we rescued you, we returned to Avengers facility to stabilize you. As soon as it was safe to move, we returned to Stark Towers." Pietro understandingly took the water from her and placed it on the bedside table. "I knew you would want to be home when you woke up."

"How long have I been asleep? And where is Purnima? And the others? How is Wanda doing?"

"Whoa there, slow down. You've only been asleep for a week," Pietro smirked, though it dropped into a frown. "You sustained many injuries during your capture. Your body needed a lot of healing."

"And Purnima? How is she?" Rani's heart yearned for her daughter.

"She misses her mother. Evelyn has been watching her for all this time. Of course, as soon as we returned, Natasha and Wanda took over." Pietro glanced at the clock on the wall. "Everyone else should be here in a little bit."

Pietro unconsciously grasped her hand, rubbing his thumb against it. She gazed at their hands with a smile. How was it possible for someone to affect her in such a way? She felt so very _safe_ in his presence, she felt it to the very core of her being. Her body had never been so relaxed. She felt as if she were floating.

Rani's eyes followed his hand, up his arm, to his face. They locked eyes and, in that moment, Rani knew that she would not be able to survive without him. She could not bear to be with anyone else other than Pietro.

"Pietro," she spoke, her voice thick with emotion.

Pietro was alarmed at the tears that glazed her eyes once more and the lowness of her tone. "What, my love? What is the matter?"

She shook her head, smiling at him through her tears. "I love you. I love you so, _so_ much."

His surprised expression melted into an expression of endearment. He cupped her cheek with his other hand, wiping away her tears.

"I love you too, Rani."

Though she smiled at him, her flow of tears did not halt. "I love you like I have loved no other person. And I won't ever be able to love someone the way I love _you_."

Pietro blushed and raised his brows. He gaped, speechless at her passion.

"I want to be with you forever, to never have to part from you again." Rani swallowed the knot in her throat. "Will…will you marry me?"

It took half a second for Pietro to break into a wide grin and laugh as he wrapped his arms completely around her. He showered her with kisses, grinning all the while.

"Of course! Of course, I will!" He kissed her lips, pouring into her all of the emotions that he could not articulate. He wanted to convey his joy and bliss to her, but he lacked the words. When he pulled away from her and saw the smile on her face and the light in her eyes, he knew that she had understood.

"Usually the man asks, no?" He smirked, kissing her jawline as she giggled. His slightly overgrown beard tickled her sensitive skin.

"We're not exactly the most conventional couple," Rani laughed. Her laughter muted into a soft smile. "I know you'll be a wonderful father to Purnima. She already sees you as one, just as I do."

"I hope so." Pietro kissed her knuckles. "I will do whatever it takes to make you both happy. And I'll start by giving Purnima some siblings." He winked at her suggestively while she blushed, playfully swatting at his chest.

They nestled into one another's embrace, relishing in the warmth they created.

The door swung open and the rest of the Avengers—with Natasha carrying Purnima—entered the hospital room.

"Well, you two look happy." Tony pursed his lips, looking between them from behind his sunglasses.

"We're getting married!" Pietro shouted, running over to Wanda who immediately embraced him.

"What?! No way, this is amazing! You finally got the balls to ask her!" Wanda gasped before her lips spread into a wide grin.

Pietro chuckled sheepishly. "Actually, Rani asked me."

"So he doesn't have the balls," Tony concluded with a smirk. Pietro, however, did not see, or more likely, he didn't care. He turned to his sister and continued their conversation in Sokovian, the siblings chattering animatedly to one another.

"Congrats to you both." Natasha walked over to Rani and handed her Purnima before giving her a hug.

Rani cradled Purnima in her arms, repeatedly kissing the baby's cheeks.

"Thank you, Natasha."

"Congratulations," Steve smiled, placing a firm hand on Pietro's shoulder. "I know you two will be very happy together." Pietro and Rani beamed at one another.

"Yeah, they'll be even more sickeningly in love." Clint rolled his eyes.

"Like you and Laura weren't when you two got married," Natasha scoffed, shoving Clint's shoulder.

"They're worse! Ugh, they can't even survive being two feet away from each other!"

Pietro glared. "Whatever, old man. Go wave your cane at somebody else."

Clint fumed at the silver haired man. "CANE?!"

"Calm down before you pop an artery," Bruce chuckled.

"Oh, shove off you green—"

"You know what this calls for?" Tony cut off the archer, holding his arms out emphatically.

"If we know you, Stark—and we do—" Thor chuckled, shaking his head. "You're going to organize a great feast."

"Oh, a feast to rival the gods, my dear colleague," Tony grinned.

"A difficult feat but I'm sure you could accomplish it." Thor nodded. "Perhaps I'll have some Asgardian wine brought to the celebration."

"Uh, actually," Rani spoke up bashfully. "I was kind of hoping for a more private ceremony."

"I would prefer the same, as well," Pietro nodded. He smirked at Tony's crestfallen expression.

Rani, on the other hand, felt sympathy for their friend. "But we can have a large reception!"

Pietro pouted at her while Tony gleamed. "And that's why you're my favorite."

"Why don't we let the soon-to-be-wed couple have some alone time?" Natasha suggested. "Besides, Rani needs some more rest."

"Good idea," Steve chimed. "We'll come back again in a little while."

The Avengers left Rani, Pietro, and Purnima in the room basking in the honey glow of their happiness.

…

Natasha and Wanda flitted about Rani, placing the finishing touches upon the bride.

Rani sat still, watching her friends with a smile. Natasha pinned a fresh garland of jasmine flowers into Rani's bun, her fingers gentle and nimble. She stepped back, smoothing her hands against her charcoal satin gown. Rani thought her friend looked beautiful in the strapless dress which showcased the smooth skin of her shoulders and sported an ambitious slit on the side.

Wanda looked equally beautiful in a wine colored, lace gown with an open back and short train. Rani's soon-to-be sister-in-law had swept her hair into an artful mess of curls at the base of her neck.

Wanda wiped a stray smudge of red lipstick from Rani's smile and moved back.

"There, all done. You look beautiful, as always." Wanda gestured towards the full length mirror. Rani cautiously stood from her seat and approached her reflection.

Rani donned a white sari with a gold border, pairing it with a gold blouse and white satin heels. Complete with gold jewelry and henna designs adorning her hands and feet, Rani looked and felt like a traditional Indian bride.

Pietro and Rani had discussed having the wedding incorporate important points from both of their cultures while maintaining an overall casualness. Rani had allowed her bridesmaids—Wanda and Natasha—to wear whatever they wished.

Natasha scooped up Purnima from where she was sitting on the bed. The one-year-old looked adorable in a champagne dress with a sequined bodice and plain skirt. A simple gold headband held back the toddler's short, dark brown hair. Purnima smiled up at Natasha, displaying her four teeth.

"My, you're getting big." Natasha tickled the young girl.

"Is she getting too heavy for you, Natasha?" Wanda smirked playfully.

Natasha raised a brow. "For me? Never."

The three of them shared a laugh. As their laughter faded and they gazed at one another, each of their eyes glazed over with tears.

"I don't understand why I'm crying," Rani rapidly blinked her eyes, not wanting to cry and ruin her makeup. "I've never been so happy in my entire life."

"Perhaps you're crying because you know a chapter of your life is ending," Wanda offered. "And a new one is beginning."

Rani gave her a watery smile and they hugged, with Natasha and Purnima joining the embrace.

A knock sounded at the door. "Is the bride ready?" Bruce's muffled voice called.

"Coming!" Natasha answered.

With that, Rani's heart starting beating erratically and her stomach fluttered. Wanda passed her a flower bouquet of white roses and baby's breath tied together with a golden ribbon. They processed from Rani's room to the living room, where the rest of the Avengers were waiting on the balcony.

Natasha, while carrying Purnima, walked down the short aisle first, smiling at the small party of guests standing around them. Bruce gaped at her from beside Thor and Steve, at which she giggled. Clint sent her a wink from where he stood beside Mariah Hill and Fury.

Wanda followed after her, holding her own bouquet. She gleamed at the expression on Vision's face. He towered over Sam Wilson and James Rhodes, providing her an ample view of his form in a black suit. Her gaze slid to Pietro at the end of the aisle, dressed in a gray suit and an anticipating countenance.

The Maximoff twins shared a brief, yet significant look. Pietro could see the pride and joy within his sister's eyes. He nervously grinned at her and looked away, moving to run his hand through his hair.

"Don't!" Tony exclaimed, causing Pietro to flinch. "You'll mess up all of my hard work!"

Pietro glared at him but moved his hand to his beard, only to remember that he had completely shaven it off that morning.

Something white came into his peripherals.

Rani stood in all of her golden glory at the beginning of the aisle. Steve stepped forward to walk her down the aisle as a substitute for her father. She smiled at him and turned to look at Pietro. He looked handsome in his navy tuxedo and his bare face seemed to glow. All else disappeared as they made their way down the aisle. Only the two of them remained.

Pietro was speechless as he drank in Rani's beauty. She was a manifestation of sunlight and Pietro was content to lie in her wake, worshipping her. She beamed at him, blissfully gazing at him. He had never seen a more beautiful sight.

They were so wrapped up in one another that they had both almost ignored the fact that Rani and Steve had reached the end of the aisle.

Steve smiled to himself at their obliviousness to their surroundings and gently passed Rani's hand into Pietro's, breaking their trance. Rani hugged him briefly in thanks before turning to stand beside Pietro.

Tony stepped forward, the most extravagantly dressed out of all of them, and took his place at the head of the aisle. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness a union of love between this young woman and this young man."

When he had declared himself the director of their wedding, they had been more than a little worried that he wouldn't take it seriously. However, Rani and Pietro were pleasantly surprised by Tony's eloquence and sincerity. Well, sort of.

"Do you, Pietro Maximoff, take this lovely, beautiful, kind-hearted, gorgeous—"

Pietro cleared his throat with a glare, earning a few chuckles from the guests.

"—woman to be your wife?"

Pietro softly grinned at Rani and squeezed her hands. "I do."

"And do you, Rani Kapoor, take this…person…to be your husband?"

Rani opened her mouth to respond.

"Think carefully," Tony warned. "Don't want to make any regrettable mistakes. Any second thoughts?"

Pietro's glare intensified while Rani giggled, shaking her head before turning back to Pietro. She bit her lip, her smile growing.

"I do."

Pietro beamed at her, already wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You may now k—"

Pietro and Rani pulled each other into a kiss, their first kiss as a newlywed couple.

"Well, damn, they couldn't even wait for a few more seconds," Tony muttered, miffed that he hadn't been able to complete his duties.

Pietro and Rani kissed as if there was no tomorrow as Tony's robots showered them with a wide-ranging variety of flower petals. The guests applauded-meaning Thor was cheering as though he were feasting in the halls of Valhalla. The newlyweds only pulled apart after Clint began to whistle.

Natasha handed Purnima to her official father, and the family of three posed for a photo. Of course, that was the only photo Tony was not present in. Rani didn't mind (Pietro did but he couldn't say anything to her). In fact, Rani insisted they all take a group picture.

"We're all family, now more than ever," she grinned at the Avengers.

As they prepared for the picture, Rani glanced around at all of them, immersing in the love. She looked at Pietro last, who was waiting for her gaze.

"I love you," Pietro whispered, smirking at his wife.

Rani looked up at him, up at her husband and smiled. "I love you, too."

"Now and forever."

She nodded. "Yes, now and forever."

 **WOW, I am so sorry this took forever but I really didn't want the story to end! I hope everyone is satisfied and pleased! Look forward to my future writings and take a glance at my previous writings to see how far I've come. Thank you to all of you who have followed this story from the beginning! I LOVE YOU ALL!**

 **Love,**

 **Pegasus'Horn**


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